One of the signs of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis,
Although monoclonal antibodies help treat inflammatory diseases, the therapy is not without its drawbacks.The problem is the high cost, and patients also have to inject themselves regularly.In addition, the therapy is characterized by uneven efficacy.It should not be forgotten that the body learns to produce antibodies that candestroy the manufactured medicine.
PhD students from the Collier lab have figured out how to solve the problem using new nanomaterials.They can assemble into long nanofibers with a special protein called C3dg.The fibers were able to activate the B cells of the immune system to produce antibodies and the interaction between different cells of the immune system.
The graph shows peptide nanofibers,carrying the complement protein C3dg (blue) and key components of the TNF protein, which include B-cell epitopes (green) and T-cell epitopes (purple). Credit: Chelsea Fries, Duke University.
The scientists combined key fragments of the C3dg protein with TNF components into nanofibers.
When the team tested the nanomaterial on the modelpsoriasis in mice, it was found that nanofibers with the C3dg protein were as effective as monoclonal antibody therapy. And since C3dg is already in the body, antibodies do not attack it.
After studying a model of psoriasis, the scientists made a surprising discovery: C3dg not only stimulated the production of antibodies in B cells, but also affected the response of T cells.Going forward , the researchers hope to further explore the mechanisms that underlie beneficial T cell activation.
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