BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Techniques

Disease models

January 4, 2018 1:22 AM UTC

An allogeneic macaque model of HSCT-associated GvHD could be used to screen for therapies. Transplant of HSCs between pairs of allogeneic cynomolgus macaques that harbored matching major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles at all seven MHC genes recapitulated the anemia, erythematous rash, exfoliative dermatitis, anorexia, diarrhea and loss of intestinal villi observed in patients with HSCT-associated GvHD. In the model, the combination of the generic calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus, the generic chemotherapy cyclophosphamide and the CD80 inhibitor Nulojix belatacept decreased clinical disease scores and numbers of donor-specific recipient T cells in the blood compared with the standard immunosuppressive protocol of tacrolimus plus methotrexate. Next steps include using the model to screen additional therapies for GvHD and adapting the model to examine HSCT-mediated clearance of latent HIV reservoirs.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. has Nulojix approved to treat renal transplant rejection and in Phase II testing to treat liver transplant rejection...