Latest news with #Tcells
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Scientists find possible cure for diseases that impacts 10 million Americans in groundbreaking study
Scientists believe they might have found a cure for diabetes and other debilitating autoimmune diseases off the back of a groundbreaking new study. Researchers at NYU Langone Health, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhejiang University looked at why the body's defense mechanism goes haywire and turns against us, leaving a trail of incurable, life-changing diseases in its wake. Called autoimmune disorders, these include type 1 diabetes (where the rogue immune response damages insulin-producing cells in the pancreas), multiple sclerosis (MS, where the immune system destroys the protective coating around nerves that control sensation and movement – causing weakness and immobility) and hepatitis (where the immune system mistakenly attacks the liver cells, causing inflammation and damage). Together, these diseases affect more than four million Americans, but there are many other autoimmune disorders impacting millions more. Many patients end up on a lifelong cocktail of potent drugs that can reduce the worst of the symptoms but can have unpleasant side-effects – steroids, for example, can cause swelling, weight gain and osteoporosis. But new research suggests a type of treatment – called LAG-3/TCR Bispecific T cell Silencer or BiTS – could potentially stop all of these incurable disorders in their tracks by 'resetting' the immune system so it ceases its attacks on healthy tissue. Some experts predict it could be one of the biggest advances in treatment for decades. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that play a crucial role in the immune system, patrolling the body, including the bloodstream, to identify and destroy harmful cells and organisms. But sometimes they can struggle to differentiate between healthy cells and those that cause illness or disease, such as cancer or autoimmune conditions, leading the t-cells to mistakenly attack healthy tissue. One way around this is to tinker with T-cells by exposing them to a drug that alters their DNA, so they produce a protein called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). This protein can more easily detect cancer cells that express the target antigen and destroy them. Once a T-cell becomes a CAR T-cell, it's reproduced in large numbers in the lab and injected a few weeks later back into the patient's body to fight cancer cells. But treatments focused on T-cells have been elusive because blocking their action broadly weakens the immune system and creates risk for infections and cancer. CAR T-cell therapy can also have serious effects on the nervous system, leading to a condition known as immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). This can result in symptoms such as headaches, confusion, agitation, seizures and trouble speaking. However, the new research in mice published online in the journal Cell, reveals how a newly-designed antibody could help shut down T-cells in a more effective way and prevent these harmful side effects. The study results are based on the presence of T-cell receptors (TCRs) and checkpoints. TCRs are turned on by the body's own proteins in autoimmune diseases. Checkpoints like LAG-3 are also turned on by specific signaling partners, but when this occurs they suppress the T-cell's activity. This means the T cell's ability to attack other cells, such as cancer cells, is reduced. By introducing the antibody, it helped to prevent T-cells from damaging the body, focused on regulating their activity and supported the body's natural immune defenses. This approach is being explored and used in the treatment of various autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune models of hepatitis, the team's BiTS treatment reduced T cell infiltration and liver damage. They also treated mice prone to develop multiple sclerosis with short-term, preventive BiTS prior to the onset of disease symptoms, and they reported that BiTS-treated mice had reduced disease by a standard measure. 'Our study... may foster more proximity-based, spatially-guided therapeutic designs like BiTS as immunotherapy for other human diseases,' said co-first author Jia You, a research scientist in Dr. Wang's lab. 'Our findings reveal an intricate mechanism that enables a careful treatment approach to T-cell driven autoimmune diseases, which currently lack effective immunotherapies,' said co-senior study author Dr Jun Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Medical News Today
14-06-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Celiac disease: Is an easier way to diagnose it on the horizon?
Could a blood test diagnose celiac disease without the need to trigger symptoms? Image credit: Alvaro Lavin/Stocksy. Celiac disease has to do with an abnormal immune response of the body to gluten. Experts are interested in the best ways to test for celiac disease. A recent study discovered that a blood test called WBAIL-2 could aid in diagnosing celiac disease and even contribute to biopsy-free diagnosis. Celiac disease occurs when someone's immune system responds abnormally to gluten. Efforts to improve celiac disease diagnosis are ongoing. A study recently published in Gastroenterology evaluated the effectiveness of using a blood test that measures the cytokine interleukin-2 to diagnose celiac disease. The study's results indicated that the test to be highly effective for celiac disease diagnosis, even for people following a gluten-free diet. The test could offer another option to help with celiac disease diagnosis — importantly, one that would not require triggering symptoms to confirm the disease. The authors of the current study note that there is often a delay or lack of diagnosis when it comes to celiac disease. Diagnosis usually involves people having to eat gluten and get biopsies of the small intestine. Celiac disease also has to do with the response of a group of immune cells, CD4+ gluten-specific T-cells. For this study, researchers wanted to determine if the use of a blood test that measures interleukin-2 — a protein produced by some T-cells — release could help to accurately diagnose celiac disease. This research involved a total of 181 adult participants between 18 and 75 years old. Of these participants, 88 had celiac disease, and others were controls. Among controls, 32 participants had a non-celiac gluten sensitivity and were on a gluten-free diet. The rest were healthy controls who did not have gluten sensitivity. All participants provided blood samples, and researchers collected data on medications and medical history. A subset of participants, including healthy controls, participants with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and treated celiac disease, went on a gluten-free diet for four weeks or more and then consumed gluten for 'a single-dose open-label gluten challenge.' Some participants with treated celiac disease also did an oral gluten challenge that lasted 3 days. If participants underwent the oral gluten challenge, they used diaries to keep track of their symptoms. Researchers utilized a blood test called a WBAIL-2 assay, which measures the release of interleukin-2 in vitro after adding gluten peptides. In general, the test was able to effectively confirm celiac disease, with higher concentrations and fold change of interleukin-2 in participants who had celiac disease. However, the results were less sensitive for participants with a certain, less common genotype. Analysis results also found that the WBAIL-2 assay correlated with age and the number of years participants had been following a gluten-free diet. Next, researchers tested participants' serum levels of interleukin-2 after they did an oral gluten challenge. The levels of interleukin-2 were higher for participants with celiac disease following the oral gluten challenge. Researchers also found these levels 'positively correlated with the WBAIL-2 results.' So, if the levels of interleukin-2 were elevated on one test, they were also elevated on the other. They also tested how the WBAIL-2 results related to the presence of gluten-specific T cells, which were higher among participants with celiac disease. They did find that the presence of these cells, as well as activated versions of these cells, correlated with the WBAIL-2 test. The researchers further found that gluten-specific T cells, activated versions of these cells, and WBAIL-2 increased after participants underwent a gluten challenge. However, one participant had lower gluten-specific CD4+ T cells and a lower WBAIL-2 test on day six. Researchers also looked at treated celiac disease participants and how the tests related to their symptoms after gluten exposure. When it came to gluten-specific T-cells, their frequency was higher in participants who experienced vomiting. The measurement of serum interleukin-2 following the gluten tolerance test was also elevated, as was the WBAIL-2 level. The WBAIL-2 level was also increased greatly for one participant who did not experience vomiting but did report severe tiredness. Further analysis also suggested that activated gluten-specific CD4+ T cells are the cells that lead to gluten-induced production of interleukin-2. The results suggest that the WBAIL-2 assay can help with celiac disease diagnosis, even when people are already following a gluten-free diet. There are some limitations to this study. For one thing, it was performed out of one area, most participants were female, and there were strict inclusion criteria, so it has a limited generalizability. It also had small sample sizes for some subgroups, which means more research may be particularly necessary in these subgroups. Since researchers did not test children or people taking immunosuppressants, more research is needed to see how well this testing method would work in these populations. Researchers also acknowledge an untested 'reproducibility across laboratories.' More research is thus needed before the WBAIL-2 assay can really be used in the clinical setting. Further, the authors did not examine the cost-effectiveness of the WBAIL-2 test and how well this would stack up against current ways of diagnosing celiac disease. Then, the test was not as accurate for some participants with a specific genotype, which means it might not work for everyone. However, the number of participants with this genotype was very small in this study, and it is possible that the level of interleukin-2 response of some participants with this genotype was just not able to be detected by the test. Overall, more research is required regarding this subtype of individuals and the use of this test. Ian Storch, DO, an osteopathic physician specializing in gastroenterology and internal medicine, and an American Osteopathic Association member, who was not involved in this study, spoke to Medical News Today about its findings. 'One limitation of this study is the poor performance in the DQ8 genetic arm, which makes up 10% of celiac patients. This will decrease the sensitivity and specificity for the control group or require HLA typing before the assay is run.' Researchers acknowledge that the serum analysis of interleukin-2 following a gluten challenge does not always line up with the results of the WBAIL-2 assay, which could have to do with the assays' differences. Shilpa Mehra Dang, MD, double board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine with Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder, who was similarly not involved in this research, noted that 'we need to look at bigger samples to really see its clinical usefulness.' In addition to larger studies, research can also focus on more details regarding gluten-specific T cells. Celiac disease is a challenging condition to manage, and accurate diagnosis is important. Researchers suggest that examining WBAIL-2 and serum interleukin-2 after gluten consumption could allow people with celiac disease to not have to get biopsies done to confirm celiac diagnosis. The authors of this study also suggest that the WBAIL-2 assay could also become a first test among people following a gluten-free diet and help with symptom severity prediction. Storch said: 'I do not think that based on the data presented, removal of histology to confirm the diagnosis can be suggested.' Jeffrey D. Davis, DO, CMD, an osteopathic physician specializing in Family Medicine and Preventive Health and an American Osteopathic Association board member, who was not involved in the study, noted the following to MNT : 'I see potential for a commercially available rapid, simple, cost-effective laboratory test for physicians to use to assist in the accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. This study shows that especially in adults already on a gluten-free diet using this lab test versus currently available tests would improve our diagnostic capabilities for Celiac Disease. However, it would most likely be just another tool in our tool box to aid in the diagnosis along with other current diagnostic methods.'
Gizmodo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
A Monkey Herpesvirus Could Hold Key to New Cancer Treatment
A cousin of herpes might just help us fight cancer. Scientists have engineered a protein derived from a herpesvirus in monkeys that could enhance the immune system's potency against cancer. Researchers at the University of Michigan detailed their work on the protein in a paper published last month. In experiments with mice, the protein prolonged the life of cancer-fighting T cells, leading to reduced tumor growth. The findings point to a novel way that we can further strengthen immune-related cancer treatments, the researchers say. The protein comes from herpesvirus saimiri, named after the squirrel monkeys (all members of the genus Saimiri) that the virus primarily infects. The researchers had identified the virus as carrying proteins that activate certain pathways in T cells—the immune system's frontline soldiers against infections and cancers—that extended their survivability. They ultimately engineered a modified version of one particular protein from the virus, called tyrosine kinase interacting protein (TIP). They hoped their version of TIP could bind to a protein in T cells that would stimulate the production of other proteins called STAT that could then boost the T cells' longevity and cancer-killing potential. As expected, the protein increased levels of STAT (specifically the protein STAT5) in T cells in a Petri dish. They then tested the protein on mice with melanoma and lymphoma. The T cells of treated mice lived longer and killed tumor cells more effectively, resulting in reduced cancer growth, the researchers found. 'Our findings demonstrate that signaling pathways can be rewired in T cells to sustain their function in solid tumors,' the researchers wrote in the paper, published in Science Immunology. In recent years, scientists have developed a class of treatments that ramp up the immune system's natural ability to recognize and attack cancers, which is broadly known as immunotherapy. So the U-M scientists believe that their protein could be used in combination with existing immunotherapies to keep T cells in tip-top cancer-bashing shape. More broadly, they believe that other organisms or their genes can be tweaked to modify our immune cells to make them better at fighting cancers. The team's protein is still experimental, so it will take plenty more research to know whether it can be safely and effectively used in people. But it may not take too long for other herpesviruses to contribute to cancer treatment. Several research teams have developed modified versions of the herpes simplex 1 virus (the primary cause of cold sores) to directly eradicate tumors. Some of these treatments have already begun to be tested in people, and have shown promise in early clinical trials so far.
Medscape
23-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
EMA Greenlights Aucatzyl for Adult ALL
At its May 2025 meeting, the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) gave a conditional marketing authorization in the European Union for obecabtagene autoleucel (Aucatzyl) to treat adults from 26 years of age with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B ALL). A conditional marketing authorization is granted to a medicinal product that fulfils an unmet medical need when the benefit to public health of immediate availability outweighs the risk inherent in the fact that additional data are still required. B ALL is a fast-growing and life-threatening cancer. Despite multiple available therapeutic options, it is associated with significant mortality and a poor survival rate. Aucatzyl, whose active substance is obecabtagene autoleucel, is an antineoplastic cell and gene therapy. The autologous immunotherapy consists of the patient's own T cells engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor that recognizes and binds to CD19 on target cells. This results in activation of the immunological effect of the T-cell releasing inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, killing CD19-expressing cells. The CHMP said that the benefits of obecabtagene autoleucel were its ability to induce remission with a relevant duration in adults with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment Achieved Durable Response The positive decision by the CHMP was based on the results of the FELIX study, a single-arm, open-label phase 1b-2 multicenter study of obecabtagene autoleucel in adults aged 18 years and over with relapsed or refractory B ALL. In the study, around 64% of patients had a durable response — a period without disease signs or symptoms after treatment — with a median duration of 14 months. Around 49% showed a complete response, meaning the signs of cancer disappeared. Aucatzyl will be available as a 410 x 106 cells dispersion for infusion. The drug's most common side effects include cytokine release syndrome, infections, musculoskeletal pain, pyrexia, pain, nausea, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, and hemorrhage. To confirm the safety and efficacy of Aucatzyl, the manufacturer has been requested to submit long-term follow-up results of the FELIX study and to conduct a non-interventional study based on a patient registry. In the meantime, in its overall assessment of the available data, the Committee for Advanced Therapies — the EMA's expert committee for cell- and gene-based medicines — found that the benefits of Aucatzyl outweighed the possible risks in patients with ALL, and thus the marketing authorization was granted.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Drug taken by 8 million people has surprising side effect
A study found that SSRIs, a widely used type of antidepressant, could aid the immune system in fighting cancer and shrinking tumours. SSRIs increase serotonin levels, which not only improves mood but also enhances the cancer-fighting abilities of T cells. In mouse and human tumour models, SSRIs reduced tumour size by more than half and improved the efficiency of killer T cells. Combining SSRIs with existing cancer therapies further reduced tumour size in mice. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in human cancer patients taking SSRIs, researchers say.
