Hybrid Antibody Created At National Jewish Medical And Research Center 'Turns Off' CD4 T Cells Responsible For Organ Transplant Rejection

In the March issue of Nature Biotechnology, National Jewish researcher Uwe Staerz, M.D., Ph.D., describes a promising new way to "turn off" the CD4 T cell's attack on a transplanted organ. In 1996, Dr. Staerz described how to control CD8 T cells, which also play a major role in organ transplant rejection.

Dr. Staerz estimates clinical trials with the hybrid antibody could take place in approximately two years.

The hybrid antibody developed by Dr. Staerz and Yan Qi, M.D., of National Jewish, selectively "turns off" only the CD4 T cells that attack a transplanted organ. The rest of the body's defenses would be unaffected by the hybrid antibody, allowing the immune system to combat other illnesses. "The T cell sees the transplanted cell, but can't be activated against it," Dr. Staerz explains. "Any other immune response, such as the body defending itself against infections, will go on at the same time without being affected."

Current anti-rejection drugs stop organ rejection and completely suppress the body's immune system, sometimes allowing development of pneumonia, cancer, or other diseases or illnesses.

"Everybody who gets an organ transplant gets sick to a certain extent," Dr. Staerz explains. "This treatment could help prevent that."

When available, this treatment could be necessary only for several weeks following a transplant. Current anti-rejection drugs must be taken for the transplant recipient's entire life to control organ rejection.