Application
Protein-based therapeutics for the treatment of IgG-mediated diseases.
Key Benefits
- A new class of endoglycosidases for the treatment of IgG-mediated diseases.
- Four novel compounds have been developed that exhibited robust in vitro activity.
- Potential to become first-in-class medications for dysregulation of the adaptive immune system, including for many autoimmune diseases with no effective treatment options.
Market Summary
Autoimmune disorders are a broad category of diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy cells. After cancer and heart disease, autoimmune diseases are the third most common, affecting approximately 8% of the population. These diseases affect almost every organ in the body, including neurologic, cardiac, endocrine, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal (GI), lung, kidney, skin, eye, and vascular systems. The most common include type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, scleroderma, and cancer. Autoimmune disorders cannot be cured and must be managed by various medications. Endoglycosidases represent a new and more targeted approach to treating autoimmune diseases. These treatments work by targeting the IgG antibodies responsible for causing abnormal immune function; however, none have yet to become FDA-approved.
Technical Summary
Emory researchers have developed a novel class of protein-based therapeutics that can treat or prevent IgG antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. The proteins are enzymes that remove the sugars on the surface of IgG antibodies that are responsible for their immune signaling functions. Thus far, the inventors have identified at least four sugar-removing enzymes that they have showed via in vitro experiments to have robust activity and specificity for IgG antibodies. Research is underway to identify the most efficacious enzyme and demonstrate its utility via treatment in animal models of autoimmune diseases.
Developmental Stage
Pre-clinical stage of development.