Apitope elucidates IL-10 role in AI diseases

Bristol, UK-based Apitope Technology, a developer of peptide-based therapies, says that preclinical data, published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology, further demonstrate a potential role of interleukin-10 in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders.

The research, which was carried out by a team at the University of Bristol, examined the role of IL-10 in peptide-based therapies for encephalomyelitis (EAE), a recognized model for human MS. EAE occurs when CD4+ T cells recognize as foreign, the antigens in the myelin layer which surrounds cells of the central nervous system, leading to the autoimmune destruction of this layer.

The research group demonstrated that the addition of soluble peptides designed to mimic these antigens provides protection against the disease, but not in models where the IL-10 gene had been "knocked-out." In a separate paper, published in the Journal of Immunology, the team showed that repeated injection of the antigen-mimicking peptide builds up resistance to the autoimmune response.