Houston Methodist researchers have identified a key protein as a potential therapeutic target for stopping the body’s immune system from mistakenly attacking itself, offering new hope for treating autoimmune diseases and allergies.
The paper titled “Apex1 safeguards genomic stability to ensure a cytopathic T cell fate in autoimmune disease models,” appeared recently in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Xian C. Li, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Immunobiology & Transplant Science Center in the Houston Methodist Research Institute, is co-corresponding author on the paper with Zhiqiang Zhang, Ph.D., associate professor of transplant immunology in surgery.
In this study, the researchers discovered that a protein called Apex1 protects the DNA of multiplying immune cells so they can become “killer” T cells. They have the potential to attack the body by mistake, which is what happens in autoimmune diseases and allergies. By demonstrating how indispensable this Apex1 protein is to the destructive autoimmune process, the researchers proved if they therapeutically target the protein with chemical inhibitors to either turn it off or remove it completely, then this could be a highly effective way to block immune-mediated diseases. When the absence of Apex1 is achieved, it would render T cells incapable of causing the damage typically seen in autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions.
We were surprised by the potency of suppressing multiple autoimmune diseases – not only in prevention, but also in treatment once the diseases were already established – upon blocking that single Apex1 molecule. Another unexpected finding was the extensive