Journal of Bioequivalence & Bioavailability

Carbon-nanotubebased fi eld-effect transistors with biosensing functions

International Conference and Exhibiton on Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs

6-7 September 2011 Baltimore, USA

Hu Yan, Hidenori Okuzaki

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: JBB

Abstract:

M ultiple sclerosis (MS) is an infl ammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Th e animal model - experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an essential tool for testing novel therapies and the elucidation of their mechanism of action. In view of the immunological nature of MS and EAE, attempts have been made to suppress the disease by desensitization procedures using specifi c antigens. Th e copolymer Glatiramer acetate (GA, Copaxone_), does not exert encephalitogenic activity, but has a marked suppressive eff ect on EAE in various species. Th e benefi cial eff ect and the high safety profi le of GA were demonstrated in various clinical trials, resulting in its approval as a fi rst line treatment for relapsing-remitting MS. Th e therapeutic activity of GA has been attributed to immunomodulatory eff ect at diff erent levels of the immune response, mainly to the induction of specifi c cells that accumulate in the CNS and express in situ anti-infl ammatory cytokines. Furthermore, recent studies indicate that GA treatment augments neuroprotection and repair processes, such as secretion of neurotrophic factors, remyelination and neurogenesis. Th ese neuroprotective eff ects may counteract the neuropathological aspects of EAE and MS. Based on its immunomodulatory mode of action, additional potential applications of GA are investigated, such as prevention of immune rejection and amelioration of infl ammatory bowel diseases (IBD)

Biography :

Dr Rina Aharoni completed her doctorate in immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and Post doctorate in Stanford University. She returned to the Weizmann Institute, currently as Senior Staff Scientist. Her main research interest is the development of immunomodulatory and neuroprotective approaches and their in situ effect, on which she published more than 40 papers