Collaborative Effort Unveils Promising Breakthrough in Psoriasis Treatment: Advanced Fusion Protein Enzymes Target Chronic Inflammation with Reduced Side Effects

Dr. Benjamin Keselowsky (PI), Dr. Gregory Hudalla (Co-I), and their collaborators have received a $3.8M grant from the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The grant aims to address the problem of psoriasis, a chronic auto-inflammatory disease that causes irreversible damage to the skin.

Current treatments involve suppressing the immune system, which can have serious side effects and make patients more susceptible to infections. Unfortunately, psoriasis has no permanent cure, and patients need continuous treatment. Therefore, there is a clear need for more advanced therapeutics for this condition.

The team has developed novel methods of delivering immunotherapeutic enzymes that effectively redirect immune cells from chronic inflammation toward a state of balance through metabolic programming. They investigate fusion protein enzyme constructs in both tissue-anchored and circulating forms, studying the cellular mechanisms of action to determine the potential advantages of different administration routes. This research is significant because psoriasis, a chronic auto-inflammatory disease that causes irreversible skin damage, urgently needs new therapeutic options.

This research project is a collaboration between biomedical engineers Keselowsky, Hudalla and immunologist Dr. Avram. Keselowsky specializes in immune engineering and biomaterials, Hudalla has expertise in fusion protein development and galectins, and Avram is an immunologist with knowledge of autoimmunity. Their cross-disciplinary collaboration brings together diverse skills and perspectives.

Team members:

• Benjamin Keselowsky (PI), Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
• Gregory Hudalla (CO-I), Associate Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
• Dorina Avram (CO-I), Senior Member and Vice-Chair, Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center
• Westley Reeves (CO-I), Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine; Chief, Division of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, University of Florida