Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $2 million grant to Mass Biologics of UMass Medical School to develop an oral treatment for enteric (gastrointestinal) diarrheal infections, a leading cause of death for children in the developing world.
About 500,000 children under 5 years old die each year from diarrheal illnesses, many due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)—commonly referred to as traveler’s diarrhea in the developed world. Globally, 159 million children are stunted, which means they face diminished opportunities and productivity over the course of their lifetime.
Executive Vice Chancellor for MassBiologics and professor of medicine, MD Mark Klempner said, “Too many children still die from infections, such as enteric E. coli, that are entirely preventable or treatable. Prevention efforts that focus on immune protection, especially in less affluent countries without a stable infrastructure, are an integral part of the strategy to help reduce the incidence and severity of ETEC.”
Funds from the Gates Foundation grant will be used to develop a delivery method and refine manufacturing protocols for an innovative immunoglobulin (Ig) treatment to prevent diarrhea. Found on mucosal areas, such as the intestinal tract, immunoglobulin A (IgA), is an antibody that plays a crucial role in the immune function of mucous membranes by preventing the colonization by pathogens.
Professor of medicine Lisa Cavacini said, “Designed to survive in the harsh gastrointestinal tract environment, IgA serves as a kind of protective barrier, preventing microbes from adhering to epithelial cells lining the digestive tract.”
Dr. Klempner said, “The development of protective antibodies that can be easily administered orally would represent a significant advance for prevention of enteric infections. MassBiologics has the experience in antibody expression, development and production to bring a full scale IgA therapeutic to children suffering from illness.”
MassBiologics has seven candidate IgA antibodies that have shown to be effective in animal models. The next step for Klempner and colleagues is to select a suitable antibody for effectiveness and manufacturability.