Study: Vaccine to Fight Rheumatoid Arthritis Shows Early Promise

A vaccine to fight rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases has shown promise in tests on animals, according to researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

The vaccine reversed an arthritic-like disease in laboratory rats by mobilizing a portion of the immune system to protect joints under attack by other immune cells, according to reports on two studies published in the Journal of Immunology.

"We know that, in autoimmune diseases, immune cells use chemical markers called cytokines and chemokines, to induce inflammation that destroys organs," said Dr. Nathan Karin, leader of the research team. "These proteins also attract white blood cells that, in the case of arthritis, attack joint tissues, and in the case of multiple sclerosis, attack brain components. Our method helps the immune system itself interfere with this process."

In untreated arthritis, part of the immune system detects one of the chemical markers, sees that it is wrongly marking the body's own cells for attack, and destroys it. But while these naturally produced antibodies can slow disease progression, they cannot stop it. This new treatment approach seeks to help the "good" part of the immune system fight the "bad" part.

Researchers were able to identify the protein causing the progression of the arthritis and generate a special vaccine that amplifies the production of the beneficial antibodies. The vaccine rapidly suppressed experimentally induced rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

"We are hopeful that the gene-based vaccine will be much better, since only a few vaccinations are needed to train the immune system to destroy IP-10 (chemical marker), and the rat results indicate that chronic relief may be possible," said Karin.

Human clinical tests are being planned.

Other sources: Technion-Israel Institute of Technology