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Hope for an auto-immune vaccine. #Fibromyalgia #MultipleSclerosis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome

Scientists have developed technology to teach our bodies to stop fighting itself and recognize its own tissues again.

“Inverse vaccine” shows promise to reverse autoimmune diseases without shutting down rest of the immune system

Reviewed by Megan Craig, M.Sc.
Sep 12 2023
A new type of vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) has shown in the lab setting that it can completely reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn's disease -; all without shutting down the rest of the immune system.
A typical vaccine teaches the human immune system to recognize a virus or bacteria as an enemy that should be attacked. The new "inverse vaccine" does just the opposite: it removes the immune system's memory of one molecule. While such immune memory erasure would be unwanted for infectious diseases, it can stop autoimmune reactions like those seen in multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease, in which the immune system attacks a person's healthy tissues.
The inverse vaccine, described this week in Nature Biomedical Engineering, takes advantage of how the liver naturally marks molecules from broken-down cells with "do not attack" flags to prevent autoimmune reactions to cells that die by natural processes. PME researchers coupled an antigen -; a molecule being attacked by the immune system-; with a molecule resembling a fragment of an aged cell that the liver would recognize as friend, rather than foe. The team showed how the vaccine could successfully stop the autoimmune reaction associated with a multiple-sclerosis-like disease.
In the past, we showed that we could use this approach to prevent autoimmunity. But what is so exciting about this work is that we have shown that we can treat diseases like multiple sclerosis after there is already ongoing inflammation, which is more useful in a real-world context."
Jeffrey Hubbell, the Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering and lead author of the new paper
Unwinding an immune response
The job of the immune system's T cells is to recognize unwanted cells and molecules -; from viruses and bacteria to cancers -; as foreign to the body and get rid of them. Once T cells launch an initial attack against an antigen, they retain a memory of the invader to eliminate it more quickly in the future.
T cells can make mistakes, however, and recognize healthy cells as foreign. In people with Crohn's disease, for instance, the immune system attacks cells of the small intestine; in those with multiple sclerosis, T cells mount an attack against myelin, the protective coating around nerves.
Hubbell and his colleagues knew that the body has a mechanism for ensuring that immune reactions don't occur in response to every damaged cell in the body-; a phenomenon known as peripheral immune tolerance and carried out in the liver. They discovered in recent years that tagging molecules with a sugar known as N-acetylgalactosamine (pGal) could mimic this process, sending the molecules to the liver where tolerance to them develops.
"The idea is that we can attach any molecule we want to pGal and it will teach the immune system to tolerate it," explained Hubbell. "Rather than rev up immunity as with a vaccine, we can tamp it down in a very specific way with an inverse vaccine."
In the new study, the researchers focused on a multiple-sclerosis-like disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, leading to weakness and numbness, loss of vision and, eventually mobility problems and paralysis. The team linked myelin proteins to pGal and tested the effect of the new inverse vaccine. The immune system, they found, stopped attacking myelin, allowing nerves to function correctly again and reversing symptoms of disease in animals.
In a series of other experiments, the scientists showed that the same approach worked to minimize other ongoing immune reactions.
Toward clinical trials
Today, autoimmune diseases are generally treated with drugs that broadly shut down the immune system.
"These treatments can be very effective, but you're also blocking the immune responses necessary to fight off infections and so there are a lot of side effects," said Hubbell. "If we could treat patients with an inverse vaccine instead, it could be much more specific and lead to fewer side effects."
More work is needed to study Hubbell's pGal compounds in humans, but initial phase I safety trials have already been carried out in people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that is associated with eating wheat, barley and rye, and phase I safety trials are under way in multiple sclerosis. Those trials are conducted by the pharmaceutical company Anokion SA, which helped fund the new work and which Hubbell cofounded and is a consultant, board member and equity holder. The Alper Family Foundation also helped fund the research.
"There are no clinically approved inverse vaccines yet, but we're incredibly excited about moving this technology forward," says Hubble.

Source:
University of Chicago
Journal reference:
Tremain, A. C., et al. (2023). Synthetically glycosylated antigens for the antigen-specific suppression of established immune responses. Nature Biomedical Engineering. doi.org/10.1038/s41551-023-01086-2.
#autoimmune #Vaccine

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COVID Vaccine When you have Extreme Needle Phobia #COVID19 #Vaccine #Autism #Needlephobia

TW-Covid, vaccine, needles
I recently scheduled an interview at a local place that provides family and day services to adults with disabilities!! I'm excited for the interview but unfortunately the place follows certain medical requirements and the COVID vaccine is one of them. I have not gotten vaccinated simply due to the fact that I have straight up panic attacks around any kind of medical needle. I don't know if I can get a medical or religious exemption because of my issues. I would talk to my family doctor but I feel like she wouldn't give me a medical exemption because I have no other conditions other than my autism that would allow me to not get the vaccine. If anyone has any advice for me it would be extremely helpful considering my interview is next Wednesday!!

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Tdap #Vaccine side effects?

Looking for others experiences here: I was recently told I have a weird autoimmune disease that causes my body to not hold on to my old vaccines and am now having to repeat childhood vaccines. Yesterday afternoon I got a Tdap shot (it’s a combo for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis/whooping cough) by the time I went to bed my whole lower body waist down was ridiculous sore, like muscle soreness but worse than anything than any workout could do ( and I can’t workout because of all my other illnesses) so much even the blankets hurt and it hurts even to sit on the toilet, I can barely walk, but arm is fine! Has anything like this ever happened to anyone else? #AutoimmuneDisease #Rare disease #NeurologicalDisorder #Tachycardia #GastrointestinalDisorder #bonedisease #maybemito #stillfiguringthingsout #vaccinesideeffects

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Covid misinformation on this platform

Hello everyone, I was wondering what the moderators of The Mighty are doing to combat covid misinformation here. I have seen some posts that make false or misleading statements about the virus and/or vaccine (although I don't think most are intentionally false/misleading) and it really concerns me. While I firmly believe that people with questions or concerns about health matters should have a space to safely ask their questions without judgment, the important thing is that they can receive answers from people who are highly qualified to speak on the subject. Echo chambers that promote distrust in something that has been shown to be safe and effective by the scientific method only cause more problems. I realize that this is further complicated by there being users here with many health challenges that might actually impact their ability to get vaccinated, so I am in no way trying to make unvaccinated people feel bad! I just want to see these conversations staying grounded in science, and I hope that a) people with concerns are getting science-based and accurate answers and b) moderators are preventing this site from becoming a place to spread misinformation.

Also, if you are skeptical about getting vaccinated (and your doctor has told you that it is safe for you!), I would like to recommend a couple episodes of the podcast "Oh No, Ross and Carrie." Back in the spring they interviewed their friend who had never gotten vaccinated before and helped answer some of her fears surrounding getting the covid shot! I think it is enlightening and compassionate and restored some of my hope for humanity. You can find it here: maximumfun.org/episodes/oh-no-ross-and-carrie/ross-and-carri...

#COVID19 #Vaccine #science

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Final admittance

Today, when reaching out for help, I finally put my thoughts onto paper- “I am going through a mental health crisis”.

These last few days have been hard. Too hard. I’m burnt out, my mind is a mess, I have too much going on and I’m not coping. My appetite has gone again, my mind is constantly running, and I can’t even force a smile anymore.

It’s coming up to the 4th anniversary of when I tried to take my own life, and when my chronic pain started. It’s going through my mind all the time. Along with my mind processing the news given to me months ago- that my depression is treatment-resistant.

I know I’ll live through this, but it’s just so hard. The odds seem to be drastically against me. I’m just thankful to have my friends there for me.

To add to my stress, my prescriptions didn’t get transferred over to my new GP surgery. And they don’t have any appointments available until about a week before I will run out of medication which leaves me very concerned and worried.

At the moment I’m not feeling well physically either. I had my second covid vaccination yesterday and my arm is very painful, my muscles ache, I had a headache and I just generally feel unwell. My back also decided to hurt a lot earlier.

#Depression #Anxiety #MentalHealth #ChronicPain #Pain #SuicideAttempt #Suicide #MentalIllness #ill #Vaccine #burntout #MentalHealthCrisis

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.💖 ☼´¯)¸.´¯) Good Morning (¸❀´ (¸.💖´´¯`•.¸¸. ❥ 💖 Happy Thursday#mightystrong

It will be Important to get the #COVID19 Vaccine. Not only to make you feel safe and other people. It's because Ontario rolling out vaccine passport system on Sept. 22. The people who didn't get the shot will think this is unfair and shouldn't happen. It just may just help get more people to get the #Vaccine . Without it, You will NOT be allowed to go to some place. I think they are doing this to keep people safe and the places where people work keep safe. To be honest I don't really think i would feel safe being around people who haven't got the shot. I don't want to get sick or other people to get sick. That gives me #Anxiety I really do want normal life again..

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People who don’t believe Masks/Vaccine

Sorry for the vent that’s about to come unfortunately this community is about the only thing I have to talk to and to understand me most days.
When I got sick my friends and family slowly disappeared. Then you had the years before Biden.
I think it was difficult to keep our political opinions quiet. I lost friends and family members well you can’t lose them (unfortunately) but ug you just avoid those conversations and them as much as possible. Now it’s Covid, mask mandates and the Vaccine.
Reason for this rant. I have family members who don’t believe in wearing masks. I have relatives and friends who don’t want to take the vaccine.
I am immunocopromised. So it makes me angry, really angry.
They also have children, they as parents don’t believe in wearing masks so then the children follow and do the same as the parents. So if the children g-d forbid got Covid it’s on the parents. Ignorance. Smh.
So now as much as I love my nieces and nephews I have to avoid seeing them and any family member who doesn’t wear a mask. I already felt quarantined in my life when I got sick. Now I feel I am further isolating myself. Anyone else having these issues with family? #COVID19 #mask #Immunocompromised #quarantined #Vaccine #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #ChronicIllness

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Good morning, have a blessed day.#COVID19 #Vaccine

No Judgement meant. But i kind of feel like this picture speaks for it's self. My aunt posted it on face book.

Have a great #sunday everyone, Stay safe and have fun!