Development of the Anti-Inflammatory Mast Cell
Abstract
It is the goal of this proposal to provide patients suffering from severe food allergies a novel therapy that can provide protection prior to a food allergen encounter as a pre-exposure prophylactic therapy. To accomplish this, we will redesign patient-specific immune cells to counter the allergic response and therefore be able to neutralize the response in real time. Patients who suffer from severe food allergies know that it is not a matter of if but a matter of when they will be exposed to a particular food that will lead to a severe reaction and potentially death. This also impacts the quality of life in that patients must always be on guard about what they eat and often are reluctant to try new foods, eat at restaurants, or travel. The current treatment options for a patient undergoing a severe food reaction is reactionary and supportive; a patient must always be ready with medications on hand to deal with an accidental exposure. There is a great need to develop a therapy that can protect patients and be available prior to food allergen exposure. To date, there is no therapy available that can provide a pre-exposure protection from food allergens. We plan to develop this novel strategy by using patient immune cells called mast cells that are the cause of the allergic response. Here we will program the mast cell to counter the allergic response rather than cause the allergic response. The re-programmed mast cell will then be given to the patient and when the patient has an exposure to the food allergen, the re-programmed mast cell helps to alleviate the symptoms of the response instantly. This will greatly improve patient outcomes and the patient’s quality of life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110085
Entities
People
- Mary Premenko-lanier
Organizations
- SRI International
- United States Army