An Innovation Prize from the BioRegions goes to Regensburg

The BioRegions of Germany are regional initiatives for the promotion of scientific application of modern biotechnologies in Germany. The Council of the BioRegions (abbreviated as AK-BioRegio) is the central network of meanwhile 30 regional initiatives in Germany, including BioRegion Regensburg in East Bavaria which is headed by BioPark Regensburg GmbH. For the eighth time the AK-BioRegio awarded the most innovative and patented research ideas in the life sciences in Germany with excellent market potential.

At the German Biotechnology Days 2015 in Cologne the prize winners were named and honored. Dr. Thomas Diefenthal, Managing Director of BioPark Regensburg GmbH, was there as representative spokesperson of AK-BioRegio and member of the jury and of course was pleased that a research team from Regensburg amongst other teams received an award. “The research results from the Regensburg Hospital were chosen because they facilitate completely new perspectives in the treatment of autoimmune disease”, he commented regarding the result of the German competition.  

Prof. Dr. Mack’s working group deals intensively with processes in the immune system with autoimmune disease. This is centered on immune reaction to antigens to one’s own body leading to damage of the affected organs. In general the autoantigens are not known and in contrast to microbial antigens e.g. in colds and flu, are not fought off by the immune system. This causes a chronic inflammatory reaction which leads to significant restriction in function and pain.

In many cases the inflammatory reaction is self-amplifying. As the inflammation damages the body’s own tissues, amplified autoantigens are released and through the spread of messenger substances (so-called cytokines and chemokines) more leucocytes – the white blood cells - are attracted. Based on tissue samples it is known that in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases CCR2+ monocytes represent the larger proportion of infiltrating leucocytes and are predominantly responsible for destruction of tissue.

To date attempts have been made to non-specifically inhibit the activity of monocytes or the infiltration of monocytes with high doses of cortisone. All applications of this nature are only partially effective and have a multitude of side effects. Extensive animal experimentation by Prof. Dr. Mack’s working group have now shown that CCR2+ monocytes play a central role for the inflammatory condition of the inflammatory reactions and for the destruction of tissue in autoimmune disease.

Also in human multiple sclerosis CCR2+ monocytes represent the larger proportion of leucocytes in brain lesions. Treatments to date against the monocytes are only of little efficacy and have many side effects. Due to these limitations Prof. Dr. Mack’s working group has developed a therapeutic monoclonal antibody which almost completely eliminates CCR2+ monocytes from the peripheral blood and inflammed tissues. The human antibodies have already been successfully tested in multiple sclerosis animal models.