Overview
Transforming the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, have long posed a significant challenge in medical science, primarily due to their complex nature, the long asymptomatic stage, and the traditional view that the disease is primarily brain-centric. Accordingly, the Central Nervous System (CNS) was considered an immune-privileged site, largely isolated from the body’s immune system. This perspective led to treatment approaches that focused solely on directly targeting the CNS, overlooking the potential role of the body’s systemic immune system in brain maintenance and repair.
"…We propose that activating the peripheral immune system, specifically through modulating immune checkpoint pathways (e.g. the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway), can provide a novel and effective means of combating neurodegenerative disorders."
At ImmunoBrain Checkpoint, we are pioneering a paradigm shift, building on the groundbreaking discovery that the peripheral immune system, particularly monocytes and T-cells, plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health and function. We propose that activating the peripheral immune system, specifically through modulating immune checkpoint pathways (e.g. the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway), can provide a novel and effective means of combating neurodegenerative disorders, enhancing the immune system’s ability to clear pathogenic factors in the brain. This innovative approach potentially opens new avenues for the treatment of neurodegeneration.
This includes the active recruitment of immune cells to the brain, where these cells contribute to multiple beneficial activities, including reduced local brain neuroinflammation, removal of toxic or misfolded protein compounds, and supporting neuronal rescue and tissue repair. In preclinical studies using different amyloid and tau pathology mouse models, this approach led to significant improvements in cognitive performance.
"…transient intermittent blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway reinvigorates the adaptive immune response, enabling it to effectively recruit reparative immune cells to the brain."
Our therapeutic approach, rooted in over two decades of studies out of the lab of Professor Michal Schwartz at the Weizmann Institute of Science, has shown that transient intermittent blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway reinvigorates the adaptive immune response, enabling it to effectively recruit reparative immune cells to the brain. This includes the active recruitment of immune cells to the brain, where these cells contribute to multiple beneficial activities, including reduced local brain neuroinflammation, removal of toxic or misfolded protein compounds, and supporting neuronal rescue and tissue repair. In preclinical studies using different mouse models, this approach led to significant improvements in cognitive performance, observed in both amyloid and tau pathology models.
We are currently translating these findings into clinical applications, with a focus on conducting rigorous clinical trials to validate the efficacy of our approach in humans, aiming to provide new, effective disease-modifying treatments for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.
