Ajou News

NEW Prof. Choi Sang-dun’s team finds a cure for autoimmune inflammatory diseases

  • 2020-05-15
  • 3266
 
 
A team of researchers at Ajou University, including Professors Choi Sang-dun and Kim Wook, has found a cure for several autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The team has successfully demonstrated the efficacy of their product in treating diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
 
The team’s groundbreaking paper was published in an online issue of Biomaterials, an international journal, on March 17, 2020. Professor Choi (Dept. of Molecular Science and Technology, Graduate Dept. of Life Sciences) led the work as the corresponding author, with participation from other Ajou faculty members, including Profs. Kim Wook (Molecular Science and Technology), Suh Chang-hee (Dept. of Rheumatology, School of Medicine), and Kim Soon-sun and Cheong Jae-youn (both Dept. of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine). Research Professor Masaud Shah and Prof. Lee Sang-ho (Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine at Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong) also participated. Kim Gi-young and Asma Achek, both studying molecular science and technology at Ajou, were also listed as co-principal investigators.
 
The researchers developed a peptide-based treatment for autoimmune inflammatory diseases, and demonstrated its efficacy in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), SLE, RA, eczema and sepsis in animals.
 
An autoimmune disease is an abnormal immune response of the body to its own tissues or cells. There are approximately 80 autoimmune diseases that have been identified so far. Inflammatory diseases refer to a broad array of diseases in which inflammation is a major symptom, and can include NASH, sepsis, and even Alzheimer’s.
 
There are mainly two mechanisms by which autoimmune and inflammatory diseases occur: either in response to an infection by an outside pathogen or as a non-infectious response to substances generated within the immune host itself. Abnormal activation of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) is involved in both cases, but not much more is known. The Ajou team of researchers has discovered a peptide (MIP2) that can inhibit the activity of TLRs across a wide range of situations to rein in inflammatory cytokines.
 
Prof. Choi explained: “We have discovered that injecting this peptide, MIP2, into test models cured them of NASH, SLE, RA, eczema, and sepsis. In addition, we are researching and testing the effect of this peptide on inhibiting inflammasomes and thereby possibly treating other inflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer’s, type-II diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.”
 
The project was organized with support from the R&D-Centered Hospital Support Program of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as the Basic and Original Research Support Program, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea.