Autoimmune disease

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

1-1-1. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS)

Research interests:

• T cell (cytotoxic or tissue-resident memory T cells) and/or B cell inhibition
• Recovery of mitochondrial function (Mitophagy induction or mtDNA release suppletion)
• Mechanism of action targeting non-immune cells
• Antigen Specific Immune tolerance (ASIT)

Other conditions:

• in vitro experimental results demonstrating the expected mechanism of action must be already obtained.
• Differentiation strategies suggesting competitive advantages over launched drugs and/or drug candidates with similar mechanisms of action should be required.

1-1-2. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Lupus Nephritis

Research interests:

• Mechanism of action targeting multiple cells in T cells, B cells and pDCs
• Removal of abnormal mitochondria (e.g., Mitophagy induction and mtDNA release suppletion)
• Mechanism of action targeting non-immune cells
• Antigen Specific Immune tolerance (ASIT)
• Mechanism of action to recover renal function

Other conditions:

• in vitro experimental results demonstrating the expected mechanism of action must be already obtained.
• Differentiation strategies suggesting competitive advantages over launched drugs and drug candidates with similar mechanisms of action should be required.

1-1-3. Immunological Kidney Diseases, such as ANCA associated nephritis, membranous nephropathy, anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis

Research interests:

• Immunosuppression
• Antigen Specific Immune tolerance (ASIT)
• Suppression of NETosis

Other conditions:

• in vitro experimental results demonstrating the expected mechanism of action must be already obtained.

1-1-4. Systemic Sclerosis-associated interstitial pneumonia (SSc-ILD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Research interests:

• Suppression of fibrosis

Other conditions:

• in vivo experimental results demonstrating the expected mechanism of action must be already obtained.

1-2. Drug development technologies for autoimmune diseases

1-2-1. Antigen Specific Immune tolerance (ASIT)

Research interests:

• Induction of antigen specific regulatory T cells and/or antigen specific anergy in vivo
• Inhibition and/or removal of antigen-specific cells in vivo

Other conditions:

• in vivo experimental results demonstrating the expected mechanism of action must be already obtained.
• Competitive advantages over existing technologies, such as an immediate response and immune tolerance to whole protein antigens without limitation to partial peptides, should be required.

1-2-2. Lymphocyte-specific Drug Delivery Technologies

Research interests:

• Lymphocyte-specific delivery of antibody, peptides, nucleic acids, or small molecules

Other conditions:

• in vivo experimental results demonstrating lymphocyte-specific delivery must be already obtained.

1-2-3. Kidney-specific Drug Delivery Technologies

Research interests:

• Kidney-specific delivery of antibody, peptides, nucleic acids, or small molecules

Other conditions:

• in vivo experimental results demonstrating kidney-specific delivery must have been already obtained.