John Puisis was dubious when he first heard about the autoimmune science being developed by a coalition of scientists from Northwestern University and the University of Sydney.
The group was developing a sort of Trojan horse that it hoped could be used to treat autoimmune diseases. They had developed polymer nanoparticles that could mimic dying cells, which the immune system won’t attack, but will naturally pull from the bloodstream and throw into the body’s waste collection and recycling systems — the spleen and liver — for disposal. Inside of the polymer nanoparticles, they could hide disease-specific antigen that could begin correcting the immune system’s overreaction to certain substances.
The scientists — including biotech entrepreneur and Myeloid Therapeutics co-founder and CEO Daniel Getts — were very enthusiastic about the approach. Puisis, meanwhile, found it hard to believe. But when members of the team tested their covert immune-modulator on mice with celiac disease, in which the immune system panics at the presence of a gluten protein, they found they could calm the immune system. “The data itself was so compelling. We actually stopped disease. The mice that were treated got healthier,” Puisis said.