A healthy immune system easily distinguishes between pathogens and non-threatening entities like food or pollen. However, in allergy, the immune system is sensitized to an otherwise non-threatening entity like peanuts and mounts an abnormal immune reaction, which can become life-threatening anaphylaxis. To date, clinicians have relied upon immune suppressing therapies or de-sensitizing strategies, with limited results which do little to limit the risk of the deadliest reactions. COUR’s breakthrough nanoparticle platform harnesses the immune system’s own learning power to induce tolerance to specific allergens, like peanuts, and reduce the risk of these deadly reactions. COUR nano-particles bind to immune cells called monocytes. The particle surface is functionalized to enhance uptake, ensuring optimal targeted delivery. The cells and particles then travel to the spleen and liver, where they undergo apoptosis releasing the allergens encapsulated within the particles.

The resulting debris is picked up by antigen presenting cells, which present the allergens along with negative co-stimulating factors to the adaptive immune system.

Adaptive immune T-cells interact with the antigen-presenting cells, and in the absence of inflammatory signals they reprogram the immune system to no longer identify the allergen as a threat. These T-cells are reprogrammed through deletion or anergy or by inducing a T regulatory response T regulatory cells are long-lived, and continually downregulate immune reactions despite the presence of an allergen like peanuts.

By harnessing the immune system’s built-in learning and regulatory pathways, COUR nanoparticle technology can reprogram the immune system– providing clinicians with a breakthrough approach to treating allergy.