Graphic
The therapies we are seeking to develop are based on a fresh understanding of — and way of addressing — the immune system. Specifically, we're looking at how the immune system decides whether to tolerate (tolerogenic response) or attack (immunogenic response) the things it encounters (also known as antigens, e.g., viruses, harmful bacteria, tumor cells, normal cells within our own bodies). In many immune diseases, this decision-making process is compromised.



Classic immunological therapies try to address autoimmune diseases by suppressing the immune system. These therapies typically need to be administered over the long term, and can have an adverse impact on normal immune function. Classic cancer therapies are most often cytotoxic agents that are also highly toxic to normal tissues. We, on the other hand, are developing therapies that seek to deliberately shift, or modulate the immune system to achieve a desired therapeutic effect after a short course of therapy. 

With this novel approach, we believe that just a short course of therapy may be durable (have a long-term effect) and more effective than currently available options. In addition, because our approach is immunomodulatory — not an immunosuppressive — we believe it may result in fewer unwanted side effects than immunosuppressive therapies.