Amyloids for inflammation

Researchers at Stanford University have found that systemic treatment with b-amyloid peptides can reduce inflammation and reverse paralysis in mouse models of multiple sclerosis.¹ Cardinal Therapeutics Inc. has licensed the work and now is developing anti-inflammatory amyloids. The company hopes to select a specific indication and name a lead compound by year end.

b-Amyloid (Ab) is the plaque-forming protein linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Past studies by academic groups have shown that b-amyloid is upregulated in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions.^2,3 However, the role of b-amyloid in MS was not well defined, and it was unclear whether it was harmful or protective. A Stanford research group led by Lawrence Steinman published data in 2007 showing that b-amyloid could be the target of inflammatory processes in MS, thus suggesting it might have a deleterious role.⁴...