Tick-derived protein discovery can advance treatment for inflammatory diseases

When the immune system detects a harmful or foreign agent it triggers an inflammatory response small proteins called chemokines direct immune cells to the site of the injury or infection, resulting in the invader being inactivated.

More commonly known as a parasite, ticks are able to attach and draw blood off us, or our pets, without triggering an immune reaction, because they produce proteins called evasins, which attach to these chemokines preventing them from warning the immune system that it is under attack. These chemokines can also "turn bad" overstimulating the immune system resulting in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Now, a team from the Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute has identified a tick-derived evasin that can bind to two major classes of chemokines, a discovery that is important for the development of therapeutics targeting inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Until now, scientists had identified only evasins that selectively block chemokines within a single class.

The study, published in the journal, Cell Press, by lead authors Professor Martin Stone and Dr Ram Bhusal, is important because a broad acting evasin, such as they have discovered, is a potential therapy for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and cancer.

According to co-first authors Mr Kunwar and Dr Devkota, it was previously believed that ticks suppress the immune system by secreting a cocktail of different evasins, each targeting a specific class of chemokines. "However, in this study, we have identified a naturally occurring evasin that can inhibit both major classes of chemokines," Mr Kunwar said. "This is a novel finding and represents a significant advance in the field."

Dr Devkota added: "The discovery opens up new opportunities to develop therapies that target chemokines driving inflammatory diseases such as RA and MS. While treatments are available, there remains a significant need for therapies that more effectively prevent disease progression."