Engineering Stem Cells To Enhance Antibody Therapy
Vaccines and antibodies have long been employed as weapons in the battle against disease. They work by boosting our immune systems to target pathologies, such as Crohn’s Disease or certain cancers. But, in some cases, the protection conferred by antibodies “wears off” too quickly. Now, a team of Canadian researchers has demonstrated for the first time that stem cells can be used to deliver antibodies more effectively than administration of the antibodies themselves—and over longer periods of time. Having recently shown that stem cells could be used to reverse osteoporosis, University of Toronto professor John E. Davies partnered with researchers Lorena Braid, Wei-Gang Hu and Les Nagata of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to see if they could extend the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), a type of treatment that stimulates the immune system to fight unwanted cells or proteins. “Many patients who are receiving mAb treatment for Crohn’s or rheumatoi