Breakthrough MS Therapy Uses ‘Traveler Cells’ to Deliver Anti-Inflammatory Drug Directly to Nervous System
CHICAGO – Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) have developed a novel therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) that utilizes engineered immune cells to deliver an anti-inflammatory drug directly into the central nervous system. The approach, dubbed CNS Immune Targeting Enabled by MDSCs (CITED), substantially reduced disease progression and improved motor function in mice, offering a promising new avenue for treating MS and perhaps other autoimmune disorders.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often debilitating disease affecting the brain and spinal cord.Current treatments focus on managing symptoms and slowing disease progression, but a cure remains elusive. The UIC team’s innovation addresses a key challenge in MS treatment: effectively delivering medication across the blood-brain barrier, a protective mechanism that frequently enough blocks therapeutic agents from reaching the nervous system.
The therapy centers around myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a type of immune cell known for suppressing inflammation. Researchers equipped thes “traveler cells” with nano-sized packs containing rapamycin, an anti-inflammatory drug. These “nanopacks” enhance the MDSCs’ ability to locate inflamed areas and amplify their anti-inflammatory effects, allowing them to breach the blood-brain barrier and deliver rapamycin directly to the nervous system.
“This method might potentially be a promising strategy for targeted immunotherapy in MS and other autoimmune disorders,” said Luyu Zhang,a PhD student in Professor Zongmin Zhao’s lab and coauthor of the study,published in Science Advances.
The researchers believe the potential of CITED extends beyond MS, with possible applications in conditions like heart disease and arthritis, which also present challenges in targeted drug delivery.
The research team included Endong Zhang, Hanan Algarni, Luyu Zhang, Chih-Jia Chao, Shan He, aditi Upadhye, Qing Bao, Dahee Jung, shubhi Srivastava, Edidiong Udofa, philana Phan, Dejan S.Nikolic, Steve Seung-Young Lee and Dr. Jalees Rehman, who is also affiliated with the University of Illinois Cancer Center.
