ToleroChyme

Special stem cell that we showed to be superior to other stem cells in blocking human immune cells causing colitis.

Why ToleroChyme™ is Unique from a Mesenchymal Stem Cell Perspective

Mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated some effect against a variety of autoimmune conditions, however, they are not suited for specific induction of immature dendritic cells. By the very nature of mesenchymal stem cells, these cell’s primary goal is regeneration and producing growth factors for healing. Although mesenchymal stem cells have ability to modulate the immune system, they need to be “trained” to potently do this.

At Sphere Therapeutics we have screening over 200 approaches and identified ways of specifically generating mesenchymal stem cells that more potently immune modulate as compared to other publicly available stem cells. These cells we call “ToleroChyme” because of their unique ability to induce immunological tolerance.

These cells are produced from certified umbilical cords and can be used in a “universal donor” fashion, meaning that cells from one donor can be used to treat multiple recipients.

Additionally, ToleroChyme cells are designed for administration into the colon wall, they have been optimized for this route of administration, something that no other cell therapy has been able to do to date.

ToleroChyme as a Polyvalent Tolerogenic Vaccine

Attempts to induce tolerance in other autoimmune disease are hampered by lack of knowledge of what the main antigens are, as well as the autoimmune process shifting from one antigen to another. For example, in type 1 diabetes, some patients have immune responses to GAD65, others have immune responses to hsp60, and others to unknown antigens. Additionally, clinical trials inducing tolerance to one of these proteins, for example the clinical trials in GAD65, all fail because while the pathological immune response to GAD65 becomes blocked, the immune system then does what is called “epitope spreading” and starts attacking other proteins.

The above does not happened with ToleroChyme. ToleroChyme administration into the colonic areas of inflammation induces immature dendritic cells and subsequently T regulatory cells which BLOCK autoimmunity to ALL the antigens, known and unknown….the reason is because ToleroChyme “reprograms” immunity to THE WHOLE TISSUE, not just one protein.