Newswise — Rockville, MD (July 23, 2024)—A pivotal article published in The FASEB Journal highlights groundbreaking research on a novel immune cell therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, titled Allogeneic B Cell Immunomodulatory Therapy in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, underscores the potential of B cell infusions being a safe and promising treatment for ALS.
Key Takeaways
- Repeated infusions of B immune cells delayed ALS onset and extended survival in mice models.
- Initial treatments in an individual with ALS were safe and resulted in decreased inflammation and modest functional improvements.
- The research supports the foundation for a phase I clinical trial to further investigate this innovative therapy.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is marked by immune system issues and elevated inflammation. The findings, published in The FASEB Journal, show that B cells can reduce inflammation and aid recovery in both animal models and human patients.
Mark C. Poznansky, MD, PhD, senior author and Director of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, stated, “This makes the first step towards a phase I clinical trial of our new cell therapy for ALS, which is now in the planning stage.” Ruxandra F. Sîrbulescu, PhD, co-corresponding author, added, “What we observed early on in preclinical studies has been a remarkable effect of B cells in the context of brain lesions—both brain structure and function were protected by treatment with these cells, which made us consider applying them as a therapeutic in the context of neurodegenerative disease.”
In ALS-prone mice, B cell infusions delayed disease onset, extended survival, and reduced neurodegeneration. In a human patient, the treatment was safe and decreased multiple inflammatory markers.
Dr. Poznansky concluded, “We were able to show that B cells, which can be readily obtained from the blood, could treat ALS in a well-established mouse model of the disease, and we obtained permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and our hospital to try this treatment approach in an individual with ALS.”
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