Immune reprogramming, a new step toward the production of rare antibodies

Researchers have developed a new method that could allow the body to produce beneficial proteins, including highly powerful but rare antibodies, by reprogramming the immune system, according to Reuters.

Traditional vaccines stimulate immune cells called B cells to produce antibodies that recognize pathogens.

However, some viruses such as HIV can hide their most vulnerable regions behind sugar-like molecules that resemble the body’s own tissues, thereby avoiding an immune response.

So-called “broadly neutralizing antibodies” can overcome this defense, but they are extremely rare and only develop after a long process of mutations.

Most people never develop them, even after carefully designed vaccinations.

For this reason, researchers explored the possibility of permanently “installing” the instructions for these antibodies into stem cells that produce B cells.

If these cells are correctly programmed, every B cell produced afterward would carry the same “blueprint” for making powerful antibodies.

In an initial trial, the team used CRISPR technology to insert the genetic code for rare antibodies directly into immature stem cells, which were then injected into mice.

These developed into B cells programmed to produce the designed antibodies.

The results showed that even a small number of modified cells could produce large amounts of long-lasting antibodies.

The method worked against diseases such as HIV, influenza, and malaria.

Experiments with human stem cells also showed promising results, suggesting that this approach could eventually work in humans as well.

According to researchers, the technology could potentially be used to treat a wide range of diseases from infections and metabolic disorders to cancer, opening the door to life-saving protein-based therapies.

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