For many patients with irreversible organ failure, organ transplantation is a life-saving procedure. However, the body’s immune system can react negatively to the transplanted organs, considering them as foreign and attacking them. This immune reaction, called organ rejection, can lead to transplant failure and, in severe cases, can be life-threatening.
An innovative antibody that has potential in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been able to successfully prevent rejection of transplanted kidneys in non-human primates. This success paves the way for testing this treatment in the first human patients to undergo organ transplants.
If further human clinical trials confirm the safety and efficacy of this antibody, it could represent a significant development in the field of organ transplantation.
According to immunologist and transplant surgeon Allan Kirk of Duke University, this less toxic approach has been researched for more than 20 years, and is now at a crucial juncture. He believes that this treatment could have a major impact on improving the chances of organ transplant success in the future.
The monoclonal antibody AT-1501 has demonstrated the ability to reduce organ rejection rates without increasing the need for immunosuppressive drugs or causing increased blood clot formation, a side effect seen in earlier versions of the treatment.
This drug also showed promise in slowing the progression of ALS in a phase II clinical trial completed last year.
Demonstration of the effectiveness of this treatment among patients who have received organ transplants could provide a new approach to managing the body’s immune reactions.
Medicines currently used to prevent organ rejection are generally effective, but can cause significant side effects. These therapies suppress the immune system, which increases the risk of infections and can affect other organs, leading to non-immune complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Monoclonal antibodies such as AT-1501 are designed to act similarly to human antibodies, specifically interfering with the immune response. AT-1501 targets a specific protein called CD40 ligand on the surface of T cells, which are involved in the immune response. This antibody works by blocking the activation of T cells and thus helps prevent immune and inflammatory responses that contribute to the rejection of transplanted organs.
AT-1501 was tested in rhesus macaques that received kidney transplants and cynomolgus monkeys that received transplants of pancreatic islets, which are involved in making insulin in the body. Islet cell transplants have recently been approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
The results of the experiments showed that animals receiving AT-1501 experienced fewer complications, such as weight loss or reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus, common complications seen with conventional immune-suppressing treatments.
These results support the safety and efficacy of AT-1501 as a treatment to promote the survival and function of transplanted organs and allow immediate progress to clinical trials. AT-1501 is expected to be used in combination with other existing immunosuppressive agents to achieve the best results in kidney and pancreatic islet transplantation.
Imran Anwar, a surgeon-researcher at Duke University, emphasized the importance of developing less toxic drugs to prevent organ rejection. The research team hopes that AT-1501 represents a significant step towards achieving this goal.
The study was funded in part by Eledon Pharmaceuticals, the company developing AT-1501, and the results were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Source: 360medical.ro
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2023-09-18 20:33:14
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