Tobias was invited to the 7th Antigen-Specific Immune Tolerance Drug Development Summit in Boston, Massachusetts, to speak on ''Biomarkers of Efficacy & Durability of Therapeutic Immunomodulation in Autoimmune Diseases.''
Here you can read more: https://as-immunetolerance.com/whats-on/speakers/
Members of our group attended the 4th International Immunology Workshop in Kabelvåg, Norway. We presented results on PLGA nanoparticle immunomodulation, including mechanistic and effect duration studies, in HLA transgenic mouse models of celiac disease and narcolepsy with cataplexy.
Group members attended the International Immunology Summer School in Tallinn, Estonia. At the meeting, Tobias spoke about Antigen-specific Immune Tolerance Induction in Autoimmune Diseases, while Eva’s abstract had been selected for oral presentation.
Our group attended the 49th SSI meeting in Turku, Finland. During the conference, Eva presented brand new results demonstrating antigen-specific immune tolerance induction by PLGA nanoparticles in a mouse model of narcolepsy type 1.
Victoria Ortin Piqueras defended her PhD thesis entitled "Development of an in vivo intestinal permeability test to refine the use of mouse models in research’’.
Seated from left to right, for the pre-examination dinner: Opponent Prof. Patri Vergara (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona), Kustos Prof. Mirja Ruohoniemi, Supervisors Rafael Frias and Tobias Freitag, and candidate Victoria Ortin Piqueras (missing in this picture: Supervisor Prof. Thomas Spillmann).
Our group and collaborators have identified two influenza A (H1N1) virus peptides against which pediatric narcolepsy type 1 patients show strong T cell reactions. These peptides resemble human protein fragments, in particular a peptide from protein-O-mannosyl transferase 1, and due to T cell cross-reactivity may cause an immune response against the body’s own neuronal cells. Our study supports the concept that influenza A (H1N1) virus peptides can trigger an autoimmune reaction in genetically predisposed individuals, that results in the onset of narcolepsy with cataplexy.
Here you can read more about our finding: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/healthier-world/researchers-have-identified-novel-autoantigen-narcolepsy-mimic-protein-swine-flu-virus
Our group co-developed and tested PLGA nanoparticles containing gliadin for the immunomodulatory treatment of celiac disease in collaboration with industry.
Here you can read more: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/healthier-world/celiac-disease-might-be-cured-restoring-immune-tolerance-gliadin