ITN News

The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) today announced enrollment of the first participant in a phase II clinical research trial evaluating whether intramuscular injections of alefacept (Amevive®) halt or slow the destruction

The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) today announced enrollment of the first participant in a two-part, phase II clinical research trial evaluating the effect of intravenous alpha 1-antitrypsin (AAT) on preserving the function 

The Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) today announced enrollment of the first patient in a phase II clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of abatacept in adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis 

The ITN implemented a Strategic Partnerships and Business Development initiative and will be establishing and building relationships with industry and advocacy groups. This will promote a platform to expand the collaborative community of the ITN. For more information follow @ITNpartnerships on Twitter.  Contact:ITNCommunications@immunetolerance.org Immune Tolerance NetworkOffice of the Director1201 Ninth Avenue, IN-RCSeattle, WA 98101-2795P: 206-341-0688

We are pleased to announce BioShare, a new Biomarker Sample Sharing opportunity from the Immune Tolerance Network.  Interested investigators are invited to visit the BioShare website (www.itnbioshare.org) for information and access to clinical samples collected from ITN trials.The ITN develops and conducts trials of novel immune tolerance therapies in type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases, solid organ and islet transplantation, allergy and asthma.

This year marks the Immune Tolerance Network's 10th anniversary!

Results of an Immune Tolerance Network clinical trial may provide doctors with another weapon in the treatment of ANCA-associated vasculitis, which has seen no new approved treatments in 40 years. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that the drug rituximab provides the same treatment benefits as the existing standard of care, and appears to offer additional benefits to those suffering relapses.

The results of two Immune Tolerance Network (ITN)-sponsored efforts in identifying genetic and cellular signatures of transplant tolerance were published this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The signatures are patterns of gene expression and cell types that were found to be characteristic of a set of rare patients who developed a natural tolerance for their kidney transplant – meaning they do not require anti-rejection medications.

The ITN is currently seeking Concept Proposals for novel clinical trials designed to induce immune tolerance in Type 1 Diabetes, transplantation, autoimmune diseases, and allergy and asthma.  In addition the ITN accepts applications for the development of novel tolerance assays or mechanistic studies for the purposes of establishing new surrogate biomarkers of immune tolerance and investigating the mechanisms of clinical tolerance.  Proposals should be submitted via our site:  www.immunetolerance.org/professionals/proposals/guidelines

The recommendations of the ITN//JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Combination Therapy Assessment Group have been published in the May 2010 issue of Clinical & Experimental Immunology. The assessment group convened mid-2009 to examine the opportunities and challenges in developing clinical investigations of combination therapies for new onset type 1 diabetes.