Dynavax: Changing the immune response

The presence of foreign organisms in the body is accompanied by the appearance of non-human DNA. In vivo, the immune system responds to foreign DNA by mounting a T cell response against the invading pathogen. This aspect of immune biology has led Dynavax Technologies Corp. to develop specific immunostimulatory DNA sequences to intervene in immune system diseases such as asthma and allergies.

The company uses its technology to cause the conversion of a harmful allergic response into a harmless antibody and cellular response...