CEL-SCI Announced Issuance of U.S. Patent for New Platform Technology to Treat Immune System-Based Diseases
CEL-SCI Corporation announced the issuance of a U.S. patent for a new platform technology. This technology can be used for the treatment of a number of major diseases including autoimmune disease, asthma, allergy and transplant rejection. This patent, U.S. Patent 7,199,216, is titled "Peptide constructs for treating autoimmune and related diseases."
This T-cell modulation platform technology is called "AdapT," which stands for "Antigen Directed Apoptosis". AdapT technology uses proprietary two-peptide molecular constructs to selectively cause the death of only those immune T-cells that are involved in autoimmune disease, asthma, allergy, and transplant rejection, by having these disease causing T-cells undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death) and anergy (a state of immune unresponsiveness).
It has been well established in the scientific literature that at least two signals are required for T-cell activation and that, if only one signal is supplied to T-cells without the ability of the same T-cells to receive a second activation signal, these T-cells undergo "programmed cell death."
The AdapT molecular constructs capitalize on this well known principle and "work" by engaging the antigen-specific T-cell receptor with one of its peptides and, at the same time, block and inhibit the second signal needed for the full activation of these disease causing T-cells. This single engagement (T-cell receptor occupation), in the absence of the required "second signal" for T- cell activation, causes these antigen-specific disease causing T-cells to self-destruct and die, thereby leading to the treatment and prevention of these debilitating diseases.
The advantage of the AdapT technology derives from its ability to selectively remove the disease causing T-cell clones from the host (humans and animals) following the administration of the AdapT construct(s). Current treatments of these diseases generally utilize non-specific immunosuppressants, immunomodulatory compounds or cytokines. The use of an antigen-specific technology to regulate the immune response and the T-cells causing disease has a distinct advantage over the use of non-specific immunosuppressants because the AdapT technology should limit or even eliminate the unwanted side effects of the currently available immunosuppressant drugs.
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