Scientists have unveiled a reverse vaccine that reverses autoimmune diseases. Conventional vaccines, such as those against COVID-19, are known to train the immune system to recognize the virus. The reverse vaccine acts exactly the opposite – it makes the immune system forget about certain molecules to stop the autoimmune reaction. Early results have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in several common autoimmune diseases. Clinical studies have already started.
A new type of vaccine was developed by scientists from the University of Chicago. Team demonstratedthat the vaccine can completely reverse multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease.
Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system overreacts, causing damage to healthy tissue. Complete shutdown of immune memory can lead to even more severe consequences, so scientists have been looking for ways to specifically block unwanted reactions. They were inspired by the molecular mechanism of the liver, which can mark molecules of destroyed cells to prevent an autoimmune reaction to them.
They repeated it in a model of multiple sclerosis and achieved a blocking of autoimmunity: the immune system stopped attacking the myelin in the nerve fibers, allowing them to function properly again. Further, in laboratory conditions, the effectiveness was confirmed for type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease.
“It’s especially important that we can use this treatment even after inflammation has occurred. This is very important for the actual use of the vaccine in clinical practice,” said co-author Jeffrey Hubbell.
It is important to emphasize that the vaccine does not affect the entire immune system, making the risk of side effects much lower.
Currently, pilot clinical studies have already started involving patients with celiac disease and multiple sclerosis. At the first stage, safety for the human body must be confirmed, after which the effectiveness of the vaccine will be studied.
Another approach to treating autoimmune diseases may be to reset the gut microbiota. Scientists have shown that this treatment blocks chronic inflammation and, as a result, the autoimmune reaction stops.
2023-09-16 07:01:49
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