A new type of vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) has shown in the lab setting that it can completely reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes— all without shutting down the rest of the immune system.
Unlike traditional vaccines that stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack harmful invaders, this inverse vaccine works by erasing the immune system’s memory of a specific molecule.
Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the research behind this innovative vaccine leverages the liver’s natural ability to mark molecules from broken-down cells with “do not attack” signals, preventing autoimmune reactions to cells that naturally die. Researchers combined an antigen, a molecule targeted by the immune system, with a molecule resembling a fragment of an aged cell that the liver recognizes as friendly. In experiments, the vaccine successfully halted autoimmune reactions associated with diseases similar to multiple sclerosis.
Jeffrey Hubbell, the lead author and Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering, stated, “What is so exciting about this work is that we have shown that we can treat diseases like multiple sclerosis after there is already ongoing inflammation, which is more useful in a real-world context.”
The immune system’s T cells play a key role in recognizing and eliminating unwanted cells and molecules. However, T cells can make mistakes and attack healthy cells, as seen in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. The liver carries out peripheral immune tolerance to prevent immune reactions against every damaged cell in the body.
Researchers found that attaching molecules to a sugar called N-acetylgalactosamine (pGal) could mimic this process, sending the molecules to the liver, where tolerance develops. This “inverse vaccine” approach suppresses the immune response in a precise and specific manner, unlike traditional immune-suppressing drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases.
In animal experiments, the inverse vaccine was effective in stopping the immune system from attacking myelin, the protective coating around nerves. This led to the restoration of nerve function and the reversal of disease symptoms.
Currently, autoimmune diseases are primarily treated with broad-spectrum immunosuppressive drugs that come with significant side effects. The development of inverse vaccines could offer a more targeted and safer alternative. Initial phase I safety trials for this vaccine have been conducted in people with celiac disease and are ongoing in multiple sclerosis.
News Source: PME
