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Methods to Expand Natural Regulatory T cells (nTreg) with Immunodominant Fc Peptides

Technology Benefits

The use of these immunomodulatory synthetic peptides provide significant advantages over IVIG: cheaper product to manufacture and cheaper treatment since it does not require hospitalization; the product is more stable and reproducible; and is safer (synthetic peptides in the market approved by the FDA have shown to be safe and well-tolerated

Detailed Technology Description

Researchers at UC San Diego have identified a set of 16 immunodominant Fc peptides (that were narrowed down to a 3-5 peptide combination), which induces the expansion of nTreg in vivo. These Fc-specific nTregs cells are present in natural donors and in KD patients who responded well to the IVIG treatment; however, this cell population is not present in IVIG-non-responding KD patients. In vitro studies suggest that these Fc immunodominant peptides can overcome this unresponsiveness, which is most likely due to a defect of the antigen processing of the Fc regions of immunoglobulins that are responsible for the expansion of nTreg cells. Although other alternative therapies to IVIG are under study (e.g. corticosteroids, infliximab, cyclosporine A, anakinra, atorvastatin), these are expensive and induce a more general and strong immunosuppression in patients with the corresponding unwanted side effects. The identified immunodominant Fc peptides provide a more specific immunoregulatory response in the patient without inducing a massive/ generalized immunosuppression.

Application No.

10035823

Others

State Of Development

Human studies on an expanded group of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients with selected peptides is ongoing.

Intellectual Property Info

A patent application has been filed: US20170260236 

Related Materials

Autoimmunity. 2015 May; 48(3): 181–188. Fine specificities of natural regulatory T cells after IVIG therapy in patients with Kawasaki disease. Jane C. Burns, Ranim Touma, Yali Song, Robert L. Padilla, Adriana H. Tremoulet, John Sidney, Alessandro Sette, and Alessandra Franco

Tech ID/UC Case

25131/2015-050-0

Related Cases

2015-050-0

*Abstract

IVIG means intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. This treatment is provided as an infusion that takes one hour or more and requires hospitalization. It is used in women with previous autoimmune miscarriage(s), in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, immune thrombocytopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, chronic vascular inflammatory conditions including Kawasaki disease (KD), any neurological diseases such as narcolepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, and various autoimmune diseases.

*IP Issue Date

Jul 31, 2018

*Principal Investigator

Name: Alessandra Franco

Department:

Country/Region

USA