Post by Topas Therapeutics GmbH

🚀 Novel potential of Topas particles to induce spreading of tolerance!   We are thrilled to share that our work on immune tolerance in the context of AAV-based gene transfer has been published in Molecular Therapy, the leading journal for research in gene transfer and gene-based therapeutics. In this study, we found something particularly exciting: Our tolerizing Topas Particle Conjugates (TPCs) show strong potential to reduce unwanted immune responses to viral gene transfer: both against the viral vectors (such as AAV) and the protein produced by the delivered gene. By calming these immune responses, TPCs can help improve long-term persistence of the transferred gene. Remarkably, even when TPCs carried only a single small fragment (peptide) of the transgene-encoding protein, they were able to “teach” the immune system to tolerate T cells directed against not just that fragment but also other related parts of the same protein and even components of the viral capsid used to deliver the gene. This broader immune-calming effect, which we call tolerance spreading (Tspread), is based on the combination of known immune regulatory mechanisms including bystander tolerance, thereby introducing a new therapeutic concept. We are, to our knowledge, the first to describe this phenomenon in immunotherapy. ❓Why is this important? Because establishing durable, targeted immune tolerance could make gene therapy safer and more effective, potentially reducing or even eliminating the need for generalized immunosuppression. Congratulations to the Topas team and to our outstanding collaborators from Université de Rouen Normandie, INSERM, Sorbonne Université and Universitätsklinikum Hamburg Eppendorf. Thank you all for the excellent collaboration and expertise! 📖 Read the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/dmt9WHfR Stay tuned as we continue to explore the therapeutic potential of TPCs and LSEC-mediated immune tolerance.   #ImmuneTolerance #GeneTherapy #GT #ToleranceInduction #AAV #AntiDrugResponses #Nanomedicine #Tspread #LSECs #Immunology