Oral Immunotherapeutics to block oxidized cholesterol uptake from our diet

Made by immune cells in our body, antibodies are naturally-occurring immunoglobulin proteins that circulate in our bloodstream and coat the lining of our gastrointestinal tract. These proteins protect us against toxins and bacterial and viral pathogens. In general, antibodies work by binding to a pathogen and either facilitating its clearance from the body.

Administering antibodies is widely accepted strategy for the treatment of disease. There are hundreds of antibodies under clinical review for various diseases and the FDA has approved 18 monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of specific diseases including cancer.

Multiple human clinical trails have further demonstrated that oral administration of antibodies is very effective in protecting against a number of gastrointestinal pathogens including Rotavirus, E. coli, Shigella, Cryptosporidium, C. difficile, and H. pylori.

Similar to these immunoglobulins that protect us against infectious disease, we believe orally-administrated antibodies to oxidized cholesterol may protect us against excess dietary cholesterol that leads to the formation of oxidized LDL contributing to atherosclerosis.

Oral administration also offers the benefit of fewer side effects than intravenous administration. Because antibodies are not well absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, they do not enter the bloodstream where whey might otherwise stimulate immune cells to release the pro-inflammatory factors that are often associated with adverse events.

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