Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Immune-Mediated DiseasesAntibody therapies have become established on the market for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including autoimmune, tumor, and infectious diseases. However, the systemic administration of functional antibodies is associated with high costs for the healthcare system due to the necessary regular administration (daily, monthly to semi-annually) and for the patient in the case of non-reimbursable therapies.
Various experiments in collaboration with the University of Erlangen have shown that the application of antibody-expressing adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) leads to similarly high systemic antibody levels as systemic intravenous administration. AAVs are already on the market for a range of indications. In the project, novel minimally invasive forms of application are to be tested and optimized in order to further develop AAV technology. In this context, the AAVs are optimized and used for the expression of therapeutic antibodies. At the end of the proof-of-concept study, the data generated in the project will be submitted for translation into clinical development.
The partners involved in this project are the Fraunhofer institutes ITEM, ITMP, IZI and the Hannover Medical School (MHH), which are responsible for testing the AAVs generated at IZI in models.