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OwnerThomas J. August, Kam W. Leong +1inventors
InventorsThomas J. August, Kam W. Leong, Robert Georgantas
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Fas ligand (CD95L) induces apoptosis in activated T cells through the process of Activation Induced Cell Death (AICD). Gelatin nanoparticles are virus sized gelatin-protein-DNA complexes which can encapsulate multiple DNA vectors and proteins, and which are thought to act by increasing in vivo transfection of antigen presenting cells. By injecting mice with gelatin nanoparticles containing a murine Fas ligand (CD95L) DNA vector and a β-galactosidase (LacZ) model antigen vector, the T cell response specific for β-gal was ablated without effecting the response to a secondary antigen. In effect, this “tolerization” injection induced antigen specific peripheral tolerance in study mice, and is applicable to the treatment of autoimmune diseases when self-antigens such as Myelin Basic Protein are co-delivered with the fas ligand.
A method of reducing an antigen-specific immune response, comprising:
A composition comprising a nanosphere which comprises at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding a first and a second protein, wherein the first protein induces apoptosis or inactivation of activated T cells, and the second protein comprises a pathogenic antigen, wherein the pathogenic antigen is capable of activating antigen-specific T cells.
A composition comprising a liposome which comprises at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding a first and a second protein, wherein the first protein induces apoptosis or inactivation of activated T cells, and the second protein comprises a pathogenic antigen, wherein the pathogenic antigen is capable of activating antigen-specific T cells.
A composition comprising a nucleic acid expression vector encoding a first and a second protein, wherein the first protein induces apoptosis or inactivation of activated T cells, and the second protein comprises a pathogenic antigen, wherein the pathogenic antigen is capable of activating antigen-specific T cells.
A composition comprising an antigen presenting cell which comprises at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding a first and a second protein, wherein the first protein induces apoptosis or inactivation of activated T cells, and the second protein comprises a pathogenic antigen, wherein the pathogenic antigen is capable of activating antigen-specific T cells, wherein the antigen presenting cell expresses both the first and the second proteins.
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