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Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Associate Professor Vilma Jurate Balciuniene, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Lithuania
- Second opponent: Senior Scientist Sébastien Walchli, Oslo University Hospital
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor II Mathias Toft, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Greg Eigner Jablonski, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor II Morten Carstens Moe, University of Oslo
Summary
Antibodies are key players of the immune system and link recognition of a target to mechanisms in the immune and complement system that results in elimination of the target. This is likely why they have become important in treatment an increasing number of diseases, including retinal eye diseases. In particular, the IgG isotype is most used in therapy.
Several retinal eye diseases are treated by injecting antibody-based biologics (ABBs) directly into the eye that will bind angiogenic factors that drive pathological neovascularization and edema to prevent disease progression. However, common practice for preparing the drugs for the intravitreal injection procedure is not optimal and result in waste of costly drugs. Antibodies may also induce unwanted immune responses that may be devastating to eye. There is therefore a continuous interest in design of new formats that may be tailored for specific use and receptor engagement, where albumin has been of particular interest as it does not interact with the immune system.
To overcome these limitations, Heidrun Elisabeth Lode and colleagues tackle the issues of sub-optimal drug preparation and explore an alternative fusion format for delivery of biologics by taking advantage of known IgG and albumin biology. These unrelated proteins have a 3-week long half-life in humans due to engagement of the neonatal Fc-receptor (FcRn), which rescues both ligands from degradation through a pH-dependent recycling mechanism.
This thesis describes the establishment of a pharmaceutical compounding procedure of three ABBs, which has led to new clinical practice, both nationally and internationally, as well as development of a new syringe specifically designed for injections into the eye. Moreover, the researchers investigate an antibody-albumin format as a therapeutic alternative to the more traditional IgG antibodies. The work should motivate exploration and development of antibody-albumin fusion formats for improved treatment of retinal eye diseases.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.