Autoimmune disease

1-1 Novel drug target molecules, candidates, and therapeutic concepts in autoimmune diseases

Target disease 1: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Research interests:

• Treatment concept for the improvement of renal function

Untargeted research:

• Research that targets only cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE)

Other conditions:

• In vitro experimental results demonstrating the mechanism of action and expectations to improve renal function must have already been obtained.
• Difference points from drugs launched and under development are required.

Target disease 2. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS)

Research interests:

• Research on drug targets to inhibit T cell (cytotoxic or tissue-resident memory T cells) and/or B cell function
• Treatment concepts for interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with pSS (pSS-ILD)
• Treatment concept for the improvement of renal function

Other conditions:

• In vitro experimental results demonstrating the mechanism of action must have already been obtained.
• Difference points from drugs under development are desirable.

Target disease 3. Systemic sclerosis (SSc)

Research interests:

• Research on drug targets to suppress immune systems and prevent fibrosis
• Research on drug targets to inhibit cytotoxic T cell function
• Treatment concepts for SSc-ILD

Other conditions:

• In vitro experimental results demonstrating the mechanism of action must have already been obtained.
• Difference points from drugs launched and under development are desirable.

Target disease 4. Polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM)

Research interests:

• Research on drug targets for immunosuppression
• Research on drug targets to inhibit cytotoxic T cell function
• Treatment concepts for PM/DM-ILD

Other conditions:

• In vitro experimental results demonstrating the mechanism of action must have already been obtained.
• Difference points from drugs under development are desirable.

Target disease 5. Other autoimmune diseases

• Research that already has a drug candidate (including the pre-optimization stage)
• Research that targets only rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and type 1 diabetes is not eligible for recruitment.

1-2 Next-generation technologies for antigen-specific immune tolerance

• Research on autoimmune diseases
• Research on the induction of antigen-specific Treg and/or T cell anergy in vivo
• Research on the inhibition and/or removal of antigen-specific dendritic cells in vivo

Other conditions:

• In vivo experimental results demonstrating the content of the research must have already been obtained. Therapeutic effect is desirable.
• Clarification of the mechanism of action at the molecular or cellular level is desirable.
• Unique difference points from technologies under development, such as an immediate response and immune tolerance to protein antigens, but not specific peptides, are required.