Method for in vivo expansion of T regulatory cells
Eckhard Podack, T. Schreiber and D. Wolf
Problem
Regulatory T cells (Treg) are the subset of T cells that maintain the balance between autoimmunity and tolerance. Expanding these cells has been accomplished in vitro but never in vivo. The advantage of doing this in vivo is that it is not necessary to isolate Tregs and culture them in vitro and adsminister them via adoptive transfer, all of which are labor intensive and expensive procedure that would require numerous regulatory controls and assays. Since the procedure expands autologous Tregs there are no concerns regarding allogenicity.
Solution
An agonistic antibody to TNFRSF25 was generated. Injection of only 10mg of this antibody results in expansion of Tregs to 35-45% of all Cd4 cells from originallt 5-10%.
Competitive Advantage
This approach is the first attempt to expand T-regulatory cells in the body making it a safe and simple therapeutic approach.
Applications
To induce tolerance or tumor immunity using TNFR25 agonists by expanding Treg with agonistic anti TNFR25. We have shown that TNFR25 expanded Tregs can protect from lung inflammation and asthma upon airway antigen exposure.
We have also shown that Regs expanded with the aid of IL-2 are ineffective in protection from asthma.
Patent Status
International patent application filed in August, 2009
Licensing Opportunity
The University of Miami is seeking collaborative research and licensing options.
About the Inventors
Chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. From 1996-2006, he was also the Associate Director for Basic Science at the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Podack received his M.D. in 1968 from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; Medical Board. Some of his research interests include: induction of immunity by heat shock protein gp96-Ig, immunotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and CD30, the governor of T-cells.
