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Vaccine to Reduce Relapses and Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Detailed Technology Description

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*Abstract

Treatment Directs Autoreactive Immune Cells Away from Central Nervous System, Preventing Destructive Demyelination Without Use of Broad Immunosuppression

This vaccine may reduce relapse and disability progression in relapsing forms of Multiple sclerosis (MS) by directing autoreactive T cells away from the central nervous system, preventing harmful demyelination while avoiding the risks of broad immunosuppression treatment. MS is the most common autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, affecting nearly 2.5 million people worldwide. Repeated destruction of the nerve covering, myelin, causes weakness, impaired vision, loss of balance, and poor muscle coordination, with a progressive increase in symptom severity over multiple attacks. Available treatments for MS work by disrupting expansion and movement of a wide variety of helper T cells, fundamental components of the immune system. This broad immunosuppression carries increased risk for significant health hazards, including opportunistic infections, liver damage, and heart damage. Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a vaccine for MS that specifically guides autoreactive T cells away from the central nervous system, while avoiding risky interference with the broader immune system. By reducing destructive demyelination activity, this vaccine may reduce rates of relapse in MS patients, slowing the progression of disability onset. Variations of this treatment may enhance clinical management of other autoimmune diseases.

Application

Vaccine to reduce relapses and disability progression in MS patients without broad immunosuppression

Advantages

• Increases IL-4 production by specific autoreactive T cells, resulting in their migration away from the central nervous system without loss of ability to fight infections
• Avoids broad immunosuppression induced by available therapies, lowering the risk of dangerous adverse effects to patient safety
• Lowers relapse frequency in relapsing forms of MS, reducing rate of disability progression due to destructive demyelination

Technology

This vaccine utilizes antigens present in myelin to specifically modify the activity of autoreactive T helper cells that recognize, and are activated by myelin structural components in the central nervous system. Additionally, the vaccine incorporates an adjuvant and a toll-like receptor ligand that work together to promote a Th2-driven immune response. The composition of the vaccine stimulates interleukin 4 cytokine production by T cells, which causes the autoreactive T cells to migrate away from lymph nodes that drain in the central nervous system. The autoreactive T cells are guided to travel to lymph nodes that drain to intestinal tissue, where their activity is suppressed, given that there are no specific antigens to recognize, and where they do not cause observable inflammation. Importantly, only the CNS-specific T cells are targeted and the rest of the T cells maintain the ability to produce cytokines that are essential to fight infections. This vaccine provides the ability to modify T cell activity without broad immunosuppression, providing a potentially safer treatment to reduce relapse and disability progression in MS patients. Additionally, by modifying the antigens used, this vaccine may improve treatment approaches for a broad range of debilitating autoimmune diseases.

*Principal Investigator

Name: Dorina Avram

Department:

Country/Region

USA