Immunodrugs: therapeutic VLP-based vaccines for chronic diseases.
Worldwide, the prevalence of noncommunicable chronic diseases is increasing. The use of vaccines to induce autoantibodies that neutralize disease-related proteins offers a means to effectively and affordably treat such diseases. Twenty vaccines designed to induce therapeutic autoantibodies were clinically tested in the past 12 years. Immunodrugs are therapeutic vaccines comprising virus-like particles (VLPs) covalently conjugated with self-antigens that induce neutralizing autoantibody responses. Four such VLP-based vaccines have been clinically tested and one has achieved proof of principle: a reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive patients. To facilitate preliminary clinical testing, novel nonclinical study programs have been developed. Safety study designs have considered the underlying B and T cell immunology and have examined potential toxicities of vaccine components and primary and secondary pharmacodynamic action of the vaccines.
Cytos Biotechnology AG, Zurich-Schlieren 8952, Switzerland. gary.jennings@cytos.com
Gary T
GT
Jennings
Martin F
MF
Bachmann
D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014612:Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D014771:Virion / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D014612:Vaccines