rGIFT15: Recombinant Fusion Protein for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

Application

Recombinant fusion protein comprising GM-CSF and interleukin-15 for treating autoimmune diseases.

Key Benefits

• rGIFT15 lacks any post-translation modification such as glycosylation.

Market Summary

For those suffering from autoimmune diseases current therapies treat the symptoms, but do not provide a cure and currently available immunosuppressant treatments may lead to devastating, long-term side effects. There is a need for improved treatments for autoimmune diseases.

Technical Summary

GIFT fusokines are fusion cytokine proteins that have powerful immuno-modulatory effects. In general, GIFT proteins are fusions between granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and an interleukin that exhibit unique effects on cells of the immune system.  Researchers at Emory University have developed recombinant proteins comprising a GM-CSF sequence and interleukin-15, called GIFT15. Data for rGIFT15 mimics the data for mammalian GIFT15, showing the unglycosylated rGIFT15 has the same biological functionality as mammalian GIFT15. This fusokine may be useful as an immunosuppressant in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Developmental Stage

• Studies comparing rGIFT15 to mGIFT15 have been completed.
• An rGIFT15 manufacturing process using yeast or bacterial systems has been validated.