Hope for autoimmune diseases: Specific removal of troublemakers
In TASER we are developing Philikos’ T-Guard as effective and safe treatment option for Systemic sclerosis, a debilitating autoimmune disease. The potential to do so (or proof-of-principle) will be investigated by a clinical team at Radboudumc by delivering the innovative treatment to just four patients with an early stage of a type of Systemic sclerosis that is associated with a poor prognosis. Both biological and clinical effects will be assessed to determine the potential benefit of T-Guard to this type of patients.
Systemic sclerosis is caused by certain immune cells that are overexcited and start attacking the own cells and organs. The disease can evolve in different ways, involving smaller or larger patches of skin, but also other organs. It causes scar tissue formation that affects function, which can be debilitating and ultimately lead to death. Diffuse cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis (dcSSc) has the poorest prognosis with 40-50% risk of dying within 5 years. Only a procedure with a 10% mortality risk can be effective. This specific blood stem cell transplantation effectively removes the overexcited immune cells to stop the attacks on the own body. The tasking treatment requires a fit patient and is a last-resort treatment option that – due to the risks – is used for advanced cases.
T-Guard has a more gentle approach to remove the trouble-making immune cells, making it much more safe. As a result, it can be used at a much earlier disease stage (avoiding the occurrence of damage) and for a wider range of patients. TASER will for the first time investigate the potential of T-Guard as a safe and effective alternative to a risky stem cell procedure. We aim to deliver a convincing proof-of-principle for this, which will aid in enticing the investments required for further clinical development of this promising therapy.
