May 30th marks world Multiple Sclerosis (MS) day. A day to celebrate global solidarity and hope for the future.
Worldwide, this chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affects approximately 2.8 million people (https://www.msif.org/about-ms/what-is-ms/). Unfortunately, to date, there is no cure for MS.
Immunotherapy
Luckily, novel immunotherapies are being developed. However, the efficacy of immunotherapies may however depend on the route of delivery.
Intradermal injection of tolerance-inducing or tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC) holds promise as a novel treatment strategy for MS. Indeed, delivery into dermal layer of the skin rich in immune cells can lead to a more robust immune response.
Importantly, these novel treatment strategies for MS based on intradermal injection of tolDCs are only effective if a large number of viable, functional cells reach the site of action.
Intradermal injection
In studies conducted to date, intradermal injection of (tolDC) resulted in higher migration of DC’s towards the lymph nodes. But achieving an enhanced response requires a precise and standardized intradermal injection device.
With the currently used Mantoux intradermal injection technology, only 2-4 % of dendritic cells migrates towards the lymph nodes. Additionally, the Mantoux technique is painful for the patient and difficult to perform as it requires experience to correctly insert the needle into the skin at a 5 to 15-degree angle.
To solve this problem, Idevax developed VAX-ID®, an easy to use accurate and reliable intradermal drug delivery device. Usability studies show indeed that most health-care providers are convinced the device is user-friendly. On top, patients experienced less pain.
Furthermore, recent data showed that VAX-ID® allows proper intradermal injection of tolerogenic dendritic cells. Ejection through the needle did not impact viability, function and phenotype of the cells.
Want to know more? Check out our poster: VAX-ID® is a promising solution for reliable intradermal injection of tolerogenic dendritic cells.
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Contact our commercial team!