Luis Ignacio Terrazas Valdes, researcher at the Unit of Biomedicine from the UNAM’s Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) Iztacala and head of the Laboratory of Immunoparasitology at that institution, has developed a strategy to prevent and reverse autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis and arthritis through a method that mimics the mechanism helminth parasites use to evade host immune responses.
Helminth parasites can hide for many weeks in the host body without being discovered, as they secrete molecules that disable host protection system against foreign agents.
Autoimmune diseases are caused by an overactive reaction of the immune system, causing damage to the body itself. This is why emulate the mechanism of helminthes could serve as an alternative therapy to treat this type of diseases, said the researcher.
To achieve his purpose, the researcher studies the helminth parasites in several transgenic mouse models, in order to find the specific molecules that create this effect. Then, he expects to create synthetic versions of these molecules and design a new treatment strategy.
“In the first stage of the study we investigated how parasites can evade the immune response and remain for long periods in the host without being eliminated. With a cysticercosis model, we found that the helminth stays from 12 to 20 weeks in an experimental mouse, hidden and without causing apparent damage, but the interesting thing was to know what it does to avoid being caught, “ he explained.
The scientific and colleagues found that the host’s system (in this case the mouse’s system) generates cells that become suppressors. The suppressor-cells “are known as alternatively activated macrophages. They are cells caused by the parasite, because it secretes substances that activate cells differently. And instead of responding against the parasite, they turn off the immune system to allow parasite’s presence for longer,” explained Terrazas Valdes.
He explained that these cells are important for the parasite to survive, if they are completely eliminated, the parasite can no longer grow.
Terrazas Valdes and his colleagues also identified six high molecular weight proteins, which adhere to the membrane of dendritic cells and macrophages, which are part of the immune system.
“We still do not know which receptors they bind, still looking, but we know that by adhering to the cell sent an intracellular signal that, instead of generating an inflammatory response to attack the parasite, produces an anti-inflammatory signal that prevents its elimination. With this knowledge, we took advantage of the parasite’s ability to turn off the inflammatory response to apply it in autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis,” he said.
The team has published the first experimental results, in with they have reported that the presence of helminth inhibits the development of type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis in mice. They also claim to have unpublished data demonstrating inhibition of ulcerative colitis. Regarding arthritis, their results have not been satisfactory so far.
The biologist added that once they have identify the receptors, they will patent molecules or method as an alternative therapy to combat autoimmune diseases, which have no cure yet.
Through: Agencia ID
