A New Angle on Autoimmunity: NYU Study Targets T Cell Activity with Precision

A promising new study published online in Cell—led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhejiang University—uncovers a targeted strategy for treating autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, hepatitis, and multiple sclerosis. By engineering a bispecific antibody called the LAG-3/TCR Bispecific T cell Silencer—dubbedBiTS—to bring together the T cell receptor (TCR) and the inhibitory checkpoint protein LAG 3, the research team was able to locally "dial down"harmful T cell activity without suppressing the entire immune system. Tested across three mouse models, BiTS effectively reduced autoimmune tissue damage, from insulitis in diabetes to inflammatory liver disease and multiple sclerosis–like symptoms.

A key pillar of this groundbreaking work was support from NYU Langone’s Judith and Stewart Colton Center for Autoimmunity. This center’s translational advancement award enabled the development of the spatially guided BiTS antibody—highlighting the Colton Center’s mission to catalyze innovative, clinically focused immune therapies. As the first therapeutic approach of its kind to exploit the precise proximity between TCRs and LAG 3, the study not only advances our understanding of immune regulation but also opens the door to a new class of treatments that could safely control overactive immune responses in humans.

For a deeper dive into the science and its implications, read the full article from NYU Langone Health.

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