International Alliance for Autoimmune Disease Therapy

A collaboration of US and Russian scientists has been formed to develop a more effective treatment for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The research is being conducted by scientists at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL; Richland, WA) and the Institute of Immunologic Engineering (IIE, Moscow, Russia).

The Russian scientists have created humanized antibodies to gamma interferon, which triggers autoimmune conditions when overproduced. Until recently, most treatments employed antibodies derived from mice, which are rejected by the human body after several uses. The scientists expect that the fully human antibodies could be accepted over longer periods of time, for long-term treatment. Nonexclusive licenses to inventions created by the IIE or PNNL researchers will be held by Advanced Biotherapy, Inc. (Woodland Hills, CA, USA) and New Horizon Diagnostics, Inc. (Columbia, MD, USA).

The Russian research, coupled with a treatment method developed by Advanced Biotherapy, appears promising, according to PNNL scientists who are working closely with the Russians to verify results and monitor progress. Advanced Biotherapy's patented method covers the exclusive use of any form of antibody--monoclonal, humanized, or fully human—to gamma interferon to treat a wide range of autoimmune disorders. The company has conducted limited clinical trials of antibodies to gamma interferon for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. New Horizon Diagnostics will develop assay systems to monitor the levels of antibodies to determine effectiveness.

"If we can control the production of this protein, we then may be able to control the disease,” said Edmond Buccellato, CEO of Advanced Biotherapy. "We believe that blocking the action of this cytokine could be the basis for a universal treatment for a host of autoimmune diseases.”

The collaboration is another example of the US Department of Energy's program, Initiatives for Prolifereation Prevention (IPP), to create nondefense jobs for former Soviet weapons scientists by linking them with US companies interested in commercializing their technologies.