BioNTech, the German company involved in production of the first approved Covid-19 vaccine, is now applying its vaccine technology in multiple sclerosis research (MS).
This is the first application of mRNA vaccine technology for the treatment of an autoimmune disease, as previous research has focused on infectious diseases and cancer.
In collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, the team has produced a vaccine which aims to reduce the abnormal immune responses seen in patients with MS.
The vaccine appears to improve symptoms of MS in mice with severe symptoms, while preventing progression of the disease in mice with early signs of MS, without overly suppressing the whole immune system.