Breakthrough Oral Vaccine Reverses Autoimmune Diseases and Prevents COVID-19 Infection

Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed an "inverse vaccine" that can reverse autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn's disease without suppressing the overall immune system. The vaccine erases the immune system's harmful memory of specific molecules, halting the autoimmune response where the immune system wrongly attacks healthy tissues. The vaccine takes advantage of the liver's natural mechanism of marking molecules from broken-down cells with "do not attack" flags, preventing autoimmune reactions. Initial tests have shown promising results in reversing symptoms of multiple sclerosis in animals, and safety trials are underway in humans.