We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




“Switch Off Button” Discovered in Autoimmune Disorders

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 22 Sep 2014
Print article
Image: Aggressor cells, which have the potential to cause autoimmunity, are targeted by treatment, causing conversion of these cells to protector cells. Gene expression changes gradually at each stage of treatment, as illustrated by the color changes in this series of heat maps (Photo courtesy of the University of Bristol/Dr. Bronwen Burton).
Image: Aggressor cells, which have the potential to cause autoimmunity, are targeted by treatment, causing conversion of these cells to protector cells. Gene expression changes gradually at each stage of treatment, as illustrated by the color changes in this series of heat maps (Photo courtesy of the University of Bristol/Dr. Bronwen Burton).
Scientists have made an important advance in the fight against debilitating autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis by demonstrating how to stop cells destroy healthy body tissue. Instead of the body’s immune system destroying its own tissue by mistake, researchers have discovered how cells can be transformed from being aggressive to actually protecting against disease.

The study’s findings were published September 3, 2014, in the journal Nature Communications. It is hoped this latest insight will lead to the widespread use of antigen-specific immunotherapy as a treatment for many autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and Graves’ disease. MS alone affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide.

Scientists from the University of Bristol (UK) were able to selectively target the cells that cause autoimmune disease by dampening down their aggression against the body’s own tissues while converting them into cells capable of protecting against disease. This sort of conversion has been earlier applied to allergies, known as allergic desensitization, but its application to autoimmune diseases has only been accepted recently.

The Bristol researchers has now revealed how the administration of fragments of the proteins that are usually the target for attack leads to correction of the autoimmune response. Most significantly, their work reveals that effective treatment is achieved by gradually increasing the dose of antigenic fragment injected.

To determine how this type of immunotherapy works, the scientists delved inside the immune cells themselves to see which genes and proteins were turned on or off by the treatment. The scientists found changes in gene expression that help explain how effective treatment leads to conversion of aggressor into protector cells. The result is to restore self-tolerance whereby an individual’s immune system disregards its own tissues while remaining totally fortified to protect against infection.

By specifically targeting the cells at defect, this immunotherapeutic approach avoids the need for the immune suppressive drugs associated with unacceptable side effects such as infections, development of tumors and disruption of natural regulatory processes.

Prof. David Wraith, who led the research, said, “Insight into the molecular basis of antigen-specific immunotherapy opens up exciting new opportunities to enhance the selectivity of the approach while providing valuable markers with which to measure effective treatment. These findings have important implications for the many patients suffering from autoimmune conditions that are currently difficult to treat.”

This treatment strategy, which could enhance the lives of millions of people worldwide, is currently undergoing clinical development through biotechnology company Apitope, a spin-out from the University of Bristol.

Related Links:

University of Bristol


Gold Member
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
Automated Blood Typing System
IH-500 NEXT
New
Histamine ELISA
Histamine ELISA
New
Anti-Secukinumab ELISA
LISA-TRACKER anti-Secukinumab

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.