Novel Fusion Protein Cures Multiple Sclerosis in Mouse Model

Multiple sclerosis has been cured in a mouse model using a novel immunosuppressive synthetic hormone that was created by fusing two immunostimulatory molecules, a cytokine, and an interleukin.

Investigators at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) prepared the fusion protein from granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-15 (IL-15), both normally immunostimulatory molecules. However, they found that the resulting "fusokine,” which they called GIFT15 exerted immune suppression via aberrant signaling through the IL-15 receptor on lymphomyeloid cells.
They further reported in the August 9, 2009, online edition of the journal Nature Medicine that in vitro treatment of mouse spleen cells with GIFT15 caused some B-cells to transform into suppressive regulatory cells or GIFT15 Breg cells. When these Breg cells where infused back into mice suffering from a disease similar to multiple sclerosis, the disease cleared and the mice became healthy. No significant side effects were observed, and the treatment was fully effective with a single dose.

"GIFT15 is a new protein hormone composed of two distinct proteins, and when they are stuck together they lead to a completely unexpected biological effect," said senior author Dr. Jacques Galipeau, professor of oncology at McGill University. "It is easy to collect B-cells from a patient. It is just like donating blood. We purify them in the lab, treat them with GIFT15 in a Petri dish, and give them back to the patient. That is what we did in mice, and that is what we believe we could do in people. It would be very easy to take the next step, it is just a question of finding the financial resources and partnerships to make this a reality."

As GIFT15, cures multiple sclerosis by suppressing the immune response, the investigators hope that it might also be effective against other autoimmune disorders such as Crohn's disease, lupus, and arthritis.

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