Providence, Rhode Island Patent of the Year – 2024/2025
EpiVax Inc. has been awarded the 2024/2025 Patent of the Year for its pioneering work in immune modulation. Their invention, detailed in U.S. Patent No. 11911414, titled ‘Regulatory T cell epitopes’, introduces a novel method to induce regulatory T-cells using specific peptide sequences, aiming to suppress unwanted immune responses.
In a significant advancement for immunotherapy, EpiVax Inc. has developed a method to harness the body’s own regulatory T-cells to modulate immune responses. This approach utilizes specific peptide sequences, known as T-cell epitopes, to activate these regulatory cells, potentially offering new treatments for autoimmune diseases and allergies.
The patented method involves administering a composition containing isolated T-cell epitope polypeptides, with at least one matching a defined amino acid sequence. This composition can suppress various immune responses, including those from effector T-cells, helper T-cells, and B-cells, by promoting the activity of natural or adaptive regulatory T-cells.
By targeting the immune system’s regulatory mechanisms, this innovation offers a more precise approach to controlling immune responses. It holds promise for conditions where the immune system is overactive or misdirected, providing a potential alternative to broad-spectrum immunosuppressive therapies.
EpiVax Inc.’s development represents a step forward in personalized medicine, offering the potential for treatments that are both effective and tailored to individual immune profiles.