Prescott, AZ and St. Joseph, MO. – (April 1, 2009) Imulan BioTherapeutics, LLC (IMULAN) announced they received a grant from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation entitled “Development of a Diagnostic Method for Canine Atopic Dermatitis”. This grant is based on IMULAN’s T-Cell Receptor (TCR) peptide technology platform, the same platform being used to develop a therapeutic vaccine (immunomodulator) for canine atopic dermatitis. Recently, IMULAN completed a study demonstrating that vaccination with their TCR peptides significantly improved the clinical status of dogs with severe atopic dermatitis.
Dr. Daniel Gingerich, CSO of IMULAN stated, “We are grateful to the American Kennel Club for their research support for diseases like atopic dermatitis. This project will examine immunological markers in blood to try and better identify patients with atopic dermatitis. If successful, IMULAN’s atopic dermatitis diagnostic could be available from IMULAN’s reference laboratory early next year.”
Dr. Craig Woods, CEO of IMULAN went on to state, “The TCR peptides appear to have a dual purpose, which can be diagnostic and therapeutic in application, similar to antigens. Creating a diagnostic for atopic dermatitis is an exciting prospect for veterinary medicine, one which may be useful in identifying the optimal treatment program for each patient.”
About Canine Atopic Dermatitis: Canine atopic dermatitis is a very prevalent condition in dogs, thought to affect up to 5% of the dog population. Dogs with atopic dermatitis are comparative to human atopic dermatitis, including alterations in immune profiles and sensitivity to allergens. Clinical signs of atopic dermatitis include pruritis (itching) and an increase in topical skin infections such as staphylococcal pyoderma.
About the TCR peptides: T-Cell Receptor peptides are immune modulating biologics designed to restore immune function and normalize cytokine profiles by precisely regulating T-helper cell activity. The peptides are undergoing formal approval process for atopic dermatitis and feline stomatitis but have also evidenced promise for viral infections, cardiac disease, and fungal infections.