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Comments     Threshold


By BrotherPointy on 11/20/2012 7:45:39 AM , Rating: 2
Well that is awesome, now let's hope it works the same on humans and most importantly, if so, actually makes it to the market..

By geddarkstorm on 11/20/2012 12:51:27 PM , Rating: 5
Thankfully, it should, on both accounts.

There are already phase II human trials using this technique but with white blood cells as the vehicle rather than nanoparticles. That has a lot of harvesting issues and expensive difficulties that the nanoparticles solve handedly. So, the tolerance systems being activated in the spleen exist the same in humans and mice so far as we've seen (it's a highly conserved system throughout the mammalian branch, so no surprise).

And then the nanoparticles themselves are just made out of two metabolites your body naturally makes, and is already used for biodegradable sutures, which have been FDA approved for a long time.

So, everything is looking marvelous for this new technology: proven indirectly, already FDA approved, and successful in mice. It should get a fast track to humans, and immediately eclipses the white blood cell therapies that are in the works.

This is the holy grail of immune system modulation. And best yet? We can use this for -any- autoimmune disease where we know the antigens. Rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, lupus, type I diabetes, maybe even Parkinson's, if that's ultimately caused by the immune system as some research suggests.

