Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 18:00:50 GMT Server: NCSA/1.5.2 Last-modified: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 15:33:17 GMT Content-type: text/html Content-length: 2101
Completing the trio of therapeutic programs ongoing at the company is its vaccine research, which has led to the development of a novel strategy for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis leads to heart disease and stroke, among other conditions, and is one of the leading causes of death in the Western world and Japan.
The vaccine stimulates the production of antibodies to cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), which mediates the balance between high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or so-called "good" cholesterol) and low density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol). The antibodies inhibit the activity of CETP, thus decreasing the plasma levels of LDL. As high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, the vaccine is expected to reduce the risk of that disease. In preclinical studies, presented at a major conference in 1996, rabbits treated with the CETP vaccine exhibited increased LDL levels and significantly fewer atherosclerotic lesions in their blood vessels as compared with an untreated control group that displayed no increase in HDL and significant lesions.
To date, T Cell Sciences has received three separate Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling $878,000 to advance this research. The company is now in the final stages of optimizing the vaccine in order to identify the appropriate candidate for further development.
Updated December 5, 1997