autoimmune diseases

Researchers further explored how our internal biological clock — known as circadian rhythm — influences immune system responses. Disruptions to that rhythm are associated with immune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), although in ways not fully understood and, the study suggests, may affect response to treatment. A natural 24-hour cycle that exists…

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent for human embryonic stem cells derived mesenchymal stem cells, called hES-T-MSC or T-MSC, and for their method of production. This newly patented technology was developed by ImStem Biotechnology in collaboration with the University of Connecticut (UConn) to advance new…

A new study highlights a crucial role for the enzyme protein tyrosine phosphatase N2 in the development of early immune T-cells, and suggests that decreased levels of this enzyme can lead to the production of subsets of T-cells that contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. T-cells, which are a type of immune cells that fight infection, are composed of multiple subsets that have different roles in immunity. Researchers at Monash University set out to characterize the role of PTPN2 in early T-cell development and in the development of T-cell subsets αβ TCR and γδ TCR. To do this, researchers deleted the gene coding for PTPN2 and looked at the resulting T-cell population. Results demonstrated that the deletion of PTPN2 led to the production of γδ T-cells with pro-inflammatory properties that have been associated with many autoimmune diseases by inhibiting certain pathways that regulate proper T-cell development. “This is an important advance in our understanding of critical checkpoints in T-cell development,” Tony Tiganis, principal research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Monash University in Australia, said in a press release. “It helps decide whether the progenitors go on to become T-cells or something else; if they become one type of T-cell or another type.” Interestingly, there are already drugs that target some of the pathways that PTPN2 regulates, which could lead to the use of existing drugs to treat some of these autoimmune diseases, including MS. “Understanding the mechanisms that govern early T-cell development and how these are altered in human disease may ultimately afford opportunities for novel treatments. This is very exciting,” said Florian Wiede, a post-doctoral candidate at Monash and first author of the study.

A gene mutation may explain the uncontrolled, inflammatory immune response seen in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis, scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) report. It's a discovery that, they said, appears to be "a big step in the right direction." According to the study, published in the journal Science Immunology, alterations in the FOXP3 gene affect specific immune cells called regulatory T-cells, or Tregs. Those mutations hamper Tregs in performing a crucial regulatory role, leading to a loss of control over the immune system’s response to a perceived threat. “We discovered that this mutation in the FOXP3 gene affects the Treg cell’s ability to dampen the immune response, which results in the immune system overreacting and causing inflammation,” Ciriaco Piccirillo, the study's lead author and an immunologist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Global Health Program, at the RI-MUHC, said in a news release. Tregs are known to be the immune system players responsible for keeping other immune cells under control, preventing them from attacking the host’s own tissues, while maintaining a proper immune response against harmful agents. The normal activity of Treg cells is essential for preventing excessive immune reactions. The FOXP3 gene is also well-known, and documented, to be essential for proper Treg cell function. However, the mechanisms by which FOXP3 gene is involved in Treg cell activities are still poorly understood. In the study, “Suppression by human FOXP3+ regulatory T cells requires FOXP3-TIP60 interactions,” the research team — in collaboration with researchers at University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Teikyo University School of Medicine in Japan — evaluated the impact of a FOXP3 gene mutation in autoimmunity response. Taking advantage of cutting-edge technology, the team studied samples from two patients carrying a common FOXP3 gene mutation, which caused a genetic immune disorder called IPEX. Interestingly, the researchers found that this genetic variant did not reduce the number of Treg cells or the levels of FOXP3 protein. Instead, the mutation altered the way Tregs could suppress other immune cells to prevent overactivation. “What was unique about this case of IPEX was that the patient’s Treg cells were fully functional apart from one crucial element: its ability to shut down the inflammatory response,” said Piccirillo. “Understanding this specific mutation has allowed us to shed light on how many milder forms of chronic inflammatory diseases or autoimmune diseases could be linked to alterations in FOXP3 functions,” added Khalid Bin Dhuban, the study's first author and a postdoctoral fellow in Piccirillo’s laboratory. The team developed a compound capable of restoring Treg cells' ability to control the immune system in the presence of this specific FOXP3 gene mutation. Tested in animal models of colitis and arthritis, two chronic inflammatory diseases, the compound reduced inflammation and restored normal Treg function. Researchers now plan to develop similar drugs that may be of use in other diseases where Treg cells are known to be defective, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus. "Currently, we have to shut down the whole immune system with aggressive suppressive therapies in various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," said Piccirillo. “Our goal is to increase the activity of these Treg cells in certain settings, such as autoimmune diseases, but we want to turn it down in other settings, such as cancer.” “This discovery gives us key insights on how Treg cells are born and how they can be regulated,” Piccirillo added. “With this discovery, we are taking a big step in the right direction.”

A variation in a gene that likely promoted resistance to malaria in Sardinia may have increased the risk of people there developing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The study, “Overexpression of the Cytokine BAFF and Autoimmunity Risk,” was published in The…

The world’s first registry for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases (ADs) has gone online, to honor National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month in March. The Autoimmune Research Network (ARNet) is a creation of the Michigan-based American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), which is collaborating with the National Coalition of…

Sanofi and ImmuNext have announced an agreement to develop an antibody with the potential to treat a series of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and lupus. Under the terms of the agreement, ImmuNext will give Sanofi an exclusive, worldwide license to develop and commercialize INX-021, a CD40L…

Researchers have identified two factors that allow Th17 cells —  which drive multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions — to form memory cells in the body and cause repeated symptom flare-ups. Knowing the identity of the molecules, which are immune mediators called cytokines, will make it possible for scientists to search…

Compugen has reported new and promising results from studies on animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that support its lead drug candidate, CGEN-15001, as a potential treatment for a variety of autoimmune diseases, including MS. Specifically, CGEN-15001 was shown to restore immune tolerance and balance in a durable and sustained manner in treated…

A recent study published in Nature Communications showed, for the first time, that a protein complex called LUBAC is responsible for controlling the late-stage development of immune T-cells before they are released into the bloodstream. Several types of cells compose the immune system, working together to fight infections or cancer.

Magenta Therapeutics has completed its first round of financing, raising $48.5 million to develop ways of bringing bone marrow stem cell transplants to more patients with autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), among other illnesses. The new company aims to develop the first complete platform that can overcome the challenges in stem cell transplants,…

Researchers have discovered that a type of immune molecule — called “spliced epitopes,” once believed to be very rare  — in fact makes up a large part of the molecules labeling cells as belonging to the body, and those that are invaders. The finding may well change our understanding of multiple…

A genome-wide analysis of over 110,000 people allowed researchers with the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) to discover 200 genetic loci (the position of genes on a chromosome) that are common to people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were given in the presentation, “200 loci complete the genetic puzzle of multiple sclerosis,” by Dr. Nikolaos…

Singer-songwriter Lori Jenaire is supporting the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) #25for25 fundraising campaign with the release of her Top Five Billboard Hot Singles Sales debut “As You Are,” featuring Patrice Rushen. The song is a remake of the 1978 Pharoah Sanders’ R&B soul classic, which in its original version featured Phyllis…

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) ithree institute are taking a novel approach in an attempt to halt disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). The scientists are planning to explore the anti-inflammatory potential of a controlled infection by parasitic worms as a way of preventing the harmful over-inflammation observed in MS and…

Yissum Research Development Company, an arm of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has entered into an agreement with Aurum Ventures MKI to develop a diagnostic blood test for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and a range of other diseases, which uses differences in DNA from dying cells found in the blood of sick individuals.

Scientists discovered two key players — TBK1 and ICOS — that control the effective production of antibodies and may offer new insights into potential therapies for autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The study, “A TRAF-like motif of the inducible costimulator ICOS controls development of germinal center TFH cells via the…

Researchers at the School of Medicine of the University of California (UC), Riverside, found that TNF-alpha, a factor known for its pro-inflammatory actions, also triggers processes that end inflammation by inducing a type of immune surveillance cell, called M-cells. By advancing our understanding of immune processes, the finding may lead to…

Researchers, working on an animal model and human cells, discovered a mechanism to halt autoimmune disease damage and developed of a novel class of drugs that triggers the mechanism, and which has the potential to treat autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) without impairing the normal and necessary activities of the…

Tiziana Life Sciences, plc, a biotechnology company specializing in drugs to treat immunological and oncological diseases,  recently announced its intent to further develop foralumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the CD3 receptor. This approach, aiming to modulate the immune T cell response and achieve immunosuppression, is well-validated and has the potential to…

Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, and the Institut Pasteur, an internationally renowned center for biomedical research, recently honored four researchers with the Sanofi – Institut Pasteur Awards 2015 for their work in the fields of immunology and tropical and neglected diseases. One of the awardees, laureate in the Senior…

In a recent study published in the journal Immunity, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel reported the findings that a small subtype of immune dendritic cells plays a role in the prevention of both metabolic syndrome and autoimmunity. The study is entitled “…

A new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry revealed novel potential inhibitors of specific proteins involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and autoimmune disorders, like multiple sclerosis. The study is entitled “Dual Targeting of the Chemokine Receptors CXCR4 and ACKR3 with Novel…

Biogen recently announced an agreement with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), a research-driven pharmaceutical company based in Japan, to exclusively license the company’s experimental product MT-1303. The product is a late stage experimental oral compound developed as a therapy for several autoimmune conditions. MT-1303 is a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)…

In a new study entitled “Neutrophil trails guide influenza-specific CD8+ T cells in the airways,” researchers uncovered a key mechanism mediated by neutrophils that guides immune system cells to the site of an injury or infection. Moreover, this mechanism is crucial for immune cells to function properly…

Clinical stage biotech company Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc., recently announced the launch of a Phase I multiple ascending dose clinical study of VTP-43742, the company’s first-in-class RORγt inhibitor pipeline drug, indicated for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and several other orphan indications. Preclinical studies of VTP-43742 exhibited the…

Actelion Pharma recently announced that it will accelerate the launch of clinical trials involving its lead drug candidate ponesimod, an oral, selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P1). This decision came after a group of scientists working on different phases of clinical trials for the therapy observed mostly positive effects of ponesimod in terms of efficacy, efficiency…

 A study published by a team of investigators at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Medical Science and Osaka University’s Graduate School of Engineering presented new evidence demonstrating how Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) binds to pathogenic DNA, turning on the functions of the innate immune…