Experimental Vaccine Developed to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis

Researchers at the University of Toledo have developed an experimental vaccine to prevent rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most common autoimmune disorders that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissues, especially the medial joints of the hands, wrists, ankles and knees.

The researchers had been studying the protein 14-3-3 zeta’s role in immunopathology such as aortic aneurysm and interleukin-17 autoimmune disease. Based on their previous work, they focused on proteins as potential triggers for rheumatoid arthritis. Instead, they found that removing proteins by gene-editing techniques causes severe early-onset arthritis in animal models, rather than preventing rheumatoid arthritis. Based on the new theory that 14-3-3 zeta protein prevents rheumatoid arthritis, the team has developed a protein-based vaccine using purified 14-3-3 zeta protein grown in bacterial cells. According to the researchers, the vaccine promotes a strong, immediate, but long-term response from the body’s innate immune system. In addition to suppressing the development of arthritis, the vaccine also significantly improved bone quality, suggesting there should be longterm benefits after immunization.

“Despite the high prevalence, there is no cure [for rheumatoid arthritis] and it is not entirely clear what is causing it. This is true for almost all autoimmune diseases, making it very difficult to treat and prevent,” said Ritu Chakravarti, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences and the lead author of the study. “Fortunately, rheumatoid arthritis has completely disappeared in the vaccinated animals. If we could get this vaccine into the clinic, it would be revolutionary.”

The researchers have applied for patents on their findings and are looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry to support safety and toxicity studies in the hope of establishing preclinical studies.