AUTHOR=Smith Emma L. , Peakman Mark TITLE=Peptide Immunotherapy for Type 1 Diabetes—Clinical Advances JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00392 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2018.00392 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Autoimmune and allergic diseases occur when an individual mounts an inappropriate immune response to a self-antigen or an innocuous environmental antigen. This triggers a pathogenic T-cell response resulting in damage to specific tissues and organs. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), this manifests as destruction of the insulin-secreting β cells, resulting in a life-long dependency on recombinant insulin. Modulation of the pathogenic T-cell response with antigen-specific peptide immunotherapy offers the potential to restore the immune homeostasis and prevent further tissue destruction. Recent clinical advances with peptide therapy approaches in both T1D and other diseases are beginning to show encouraging results. New technologies targeting the peptides to specific cell types are also moving from pre-clinical development to the clinic. While many challenges remain in clinical development, not least selection of the optimal dose and dosing frequency, this is clearly becoming a very active field of drug development.