Faron Pharmaceuticals Limited (AIM:FARN) said it is making a patent application for a new treatment approach targeting autoimmune diseases and inflammatory disorders.
The biopharmaceutical company has identified how a protein called soluble Clever-1 could potentially help treat these conditions by suppressing certain immune cells known as T-cells.
Research by Faron shows that Clever-1, produced by specific immune and blood vessel cells, can bind to activated T-cells, which are essential for fighting infections and diseases.
By binding to these T-cells, Clever-1 blocks their development into cells that combat tumours, an action that could make anti-cancer therapies less effective.
However, this same T-cell suppression has potential benefits for treating autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues.
The patent covers the use of Clever-1 or parts of it to inactivate T-cells in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
Faron aims to develop this approach into a new drug, expanding its treatment pipeline to go beyond cancer therapies and address additional immune-related diseases.
"Clever-1 is a master regulator of the immune system," said the biopharma research company's chief scientific officer, Dr Maija Hollmén.
"Through decades of pivotal research and our deep understanding of Clever-1 and its role in human biology we have now shown how it inactivates T-cells, drives immune tolerance, and may render anti-PD-1 based immune checkpoint therapies ineffective.
"In addition, we now have an understanding on how we can use this to our advantage in the treatment of unwanted inflammation where T-cells need to be inactivated.
"This lays the basis for a new class of drugs to treat autoinflammatory diseases."
Faron's lead asset, bexmarilimab, is a novel anti-Clever-1 humanised antibody designed to reprogram myeloid cell function, thereby reducing cancer immunosuppression.
Currently, it is undergoing phase I/II clinical trials as a potential therapy for patients with haematological cancers, in combination with standard treatments.