An innovative approach to treating immunological diseases
Immune disorders are caused by abnormal immune responses
Immune disorders are caused by the immune system mounting hyperreactivity responses to harmless particles and proteins.
Dendritic cells are immune cells that initiate immune responses to new proteins. In immune disorders, dendritic cells initiate T helper 1 and T helper 2 responses which cause tissue inflammation. These cause autoimmunity and allergic disease, respectively
Our approach is to use small molecule drugs to modify dendritic cell function. This will restore immune tolerance to these proteins leading to anti-inflammatory responses.
What are allergic diseases?
Allergic diseases affect roughly 50 million people in the United States, causing conditions ranging from mild cases of allergic rhinitis to severe skin disease and life-threatening reactions like asthma and anaphylaxis.
These diseases have a common etiology: hyperreactivity of the immune system to common environmental particles such as pollens, mites, animal danders, and food proteins. These immune hyperreactions are caused by T helper 2 cells and IgE antibodies which cause tissue inflammation characteristic of allergic reactions.
PT-002
Current therapeutic approaches for allergic diseases only provide symptomatic relief by targeting downstream inflammatory mediators, thereby temporarily suppressing tissue inflammation. As a result, these medications only provide temporary symptomatic relief typically lasting a few hours. No existing therapies reduce T helper 2 cells or IgE production.
PT-002 is a derivative of a naturally produced metabolite which acts on dendritic cells, which are immune cells that initiate and polarize adaptive immune responses. PT-002 causes dendritic cells to reprogram immune responses to allergens, leading to long term reversal of allergic disease.
In mouse models of allergen exposure, PT-002 reduces T helper 2 cells and IgE production. This exemplifies a phenomenon known as allergen tolerance, which prevents immune hyperreactivity to allergens and leads to long-term suppression of allergic disease.
PT-002 demonstrates clear efficacy in mouse models of asthma. Mice treated with PT-002 show a 54% percent reduction in asthma severity (airway resistance) for at least four days after treatment.
