Development of a curative treatment for myasthenia gravis using a bispecific antibody drug

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K07019
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 47030:Pharmaceutical hygiene and biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Moriwaki Yasuhiro 慶應義塾大学, 薬学部(芝共立), 講師 (00392150)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 辻 祥太郎 群馬医療福祉大学, 医療技術学部, 教授 (30285192)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 重症筋無力症 / 二重特異性抗体 / ニコチン性アセチルコリン受容体 / メモリーB細胞 / CD3

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease that results from impaired stimulus transmission at the neuromuscular junction due to the action of autoantibodies against several target antigens on the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. All current treatments for MG are symptomatic and there is no curative therapy. To cure the disease, it is necessary to eradicate the memory B cells of autoantibodies. Recently, CTL-induced bispecific antibodies that utilize cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) have been launched as a method to eradicate B-cell cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to develop a drug with improved CTL-induced bispecific antibody as a method to destroy autoantibody-producing memory B cells, which are the etiologic agent of MG.

Free Research Field

薬理学・免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、MG（重症筋無力症：Myasthenia gravis）の根治療法の開発の礎を築くことを目的とし、その目的を達成するため、これまでの我々のグループが培ったBiTE（CTL誘導二重特異性抗体）の技術を用いる。BiTEはがん免疫領域での研究は目覚ましいが、自己免疫疾患領域での応用例は未だ無い。MGを標的としてBiTEの有効性を検討することは、MGの根治治療の可能性を提示するだけでなく、ひいては、他の自己免疫疾患へのBiTE応用の可能性を示すことに繋がると考えられる