New Vaccine Shows Promise in Reversing Autoimmune Diseases
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have developed a new type of vaccine that has the potential to reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Unlike traditional vaccines that stimulate the immune system to attack specific viruses or bacteria, this “inverse vaccine” erases the immune system’s memory of a molecule, effectively stopping the immune system from attacking healthy tissues.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own cells as foreign invaders. This can lead to chronic inflammation and damage to organs and tissues. The inverse vaccine takes advantage of the liver’s natural mechanism of marking molecules from broken-down cells with “do not attack” flags, preventing autoimmune reactions to cells that die through natural processes.
Lead author of the study, Jeffrey Hubbell, and his team coupled an antigen, a molecule being attacked by the immune system, with a molecule that resembled a fragment of an aged cell. The liver recognizes this molecule as a friend rather than a foe, teaching the immune system to tolerate it instead of mounting an attack.
In preclinical trials, the researchers focused on a multiple-sclerosis-like disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers. By linking myelin proteins to the molecule recognized by the liver, the inverse vaccine successfully stopped the immune system from attacking myelin. This resulted in the reversal of disease symptoms in animals, including improved mobility and vision.
The researchers conducted phase I safety trials of a glycosylation-modified antigen therapy based on this technique in people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease associated with gluten consumption. These trials showed promising results, and phase I trials are currently underway in multiple sclerosis patients.
Although there are currently no clinically approved inverse vaccines, the researchers are optimistic about the potential of this technology. The pharmaceutical company Anokion SA, which helped fund the research, is actively involved in the development of the inverse vaccine. The researchers hope to continue advancing this technology to offer new treatment options for individuals with autoimmune diseases.
“This discovery opens up a new avenue for targeted therapies that can regulate the immune system and provide relief for patients suffering from debilitating autoimmune diseases,” said Hubbell. The research was funded by Anokion SA and the Alper Family Foundation.
The study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering and has generated considerable excitement among the scientific community. With further research and clinical trials, the inverse vaccine could revolutionize the treatment of autoimmune diseases and improve the lives of millions of individuals worldwide.