'Immunotherapy and nanomedicine. Translational research for autoimmune diseases'

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a metabolic disease caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. With its incidence increasing worldwide, to find a safe approach to permanently cease autoimmunity and allow β-cell recovery has become vital. Relying on the inherent ability of apoptotic cells to induce immunological tolerance, we demonstrated that liposomes mimicking apoptotic β-cells arrested autoimmunity to β-cells and prevented experimental T1D through tolerogenic dendritic cell (DC) generation. This novel immunotherapy has the potential to re-establish immunological tolerance, opening the door to new therapeutic approaches in the field of autoimmunity.

About

Marta Vives-Pi, PhD, is the Head of the Immunology of Diabetes research group and Associate Professor of Immunology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Research lines are focused on the study of Immunology of Type 1 diabetes, the loss of peripheral tolerance and new immunotherapies to prevent Type 1 diabetes. We have developed a new liposome-based immunotherapy to halt the autoimmune reaction that causes diseases such as Type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis. The new strategy opens the door to the prevention and treatment of auto-immune diseases.