RESUMO
This paper examines how the Weizmann Institute of Science has been telling the story of the successful commercialization of a scientific invention, through its corporate communication channels, from the early 1970s to today. The paper aims to shed light on the transformation processes by which intellectual-property-based commercialization activities have become widely institutionalized in universities all over the world, and on the complexities, ambiguities and tensions surrounding this transition. We look at the story of the scientific invention of Copolymer-1 at the Weizmann Institute of Science and its licensing to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which subsequently developed the highly successful drug Copaxone for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. We argue that, in its tellings and retellings of the story of Copolymer-1, the Weizmann Institute has created narratives that serve to legitimize the institution of academic patenting in Israel.
Assuntos
Academias e Institutos/história , Pesquisa Biomédica/história , Patentes como Assunto/história , Polímeros/história , Transferência de Tecnologia , Ensaios Clínicos como Assunto/história , Dissidências e Disputas/história , Indústria Farmacêutica/história , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/tratamento farmacológico , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/história , Acetato de Glatiramer/história , História do Século XX , História do Século XXI , Humanos , Propriedade Intelectual , Israel , Polímeros/uso terapêutico , Universidades/históriaRESUMO
Ruth Arnon and Michael Sela profoundly influenced the development of a model system to test new therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS). Their application of the animal model, known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), for the discovery of Copaxone, opened a new path for testing of drug candidates in MS. By measuring clinical, pathologic, and immunologic outcomes, the biological implications of new drugs could be elucidated. Using EAE they established the efficacy of Copaxone as a therapy for preventing and reducing paralysis and inflammation in the central nervous system without massive immune suppression. This had a huge impact on the field of drug discovery for MS. Much like the use of parabiosis to discover soluble factors associated with obesity, or the replica plating system to probe antibiotic resistance in bacteria, the pioneering research on Copaxone using the EAE model, paved the way for the discovery of other therapeutics in MS, including Natalizumab and Fingolimod. Future applications of this approach may well elucidate novel therapies for the neurodegenerative phase of multiple sclerosis associated with disease progression.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental , Imunossupressores , Esclerose Múltipla , Peptídeos , Propilenoglicóis , Esfingosina/análogos & derivados , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/história , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/tratamento farmacológico , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/história , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/imunologia , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/patologia , Cloridrato de Fingolimode , Acetato de Glatiramer , História do Século XX , História do Século XXI , Humanos , Imunossupressores/história , Imunossupressores/uso terapêutico , Esclerose Múltipla/dietoterapia , Esclerose Múltipla/história , Esclerose Múltipla/imunologia , Esclerose Múltipla/patologia , Natalizumab , Peptídeos/história , Peptídeos/uso terapêutico , Propilenoglicóis/história , Propilenoglicóis/uso terapêutico , Esfingosina/história , Esfingosina/uso terapêuticoAssuntos
Autoimunidade/genética , Proteína Básica da Mielina/história , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/história , Animais , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/genética , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/história , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/imunologia , História do Século XX , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína Básica da Mielina/imunologia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/genética , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/imunologiaAssuntos
Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/história , Proteína Básica da Mielina/história , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/história , Animais , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/genética , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/imunologia , História do Século XX , Incidência , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína Básica da Mielina/imunologia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/genética , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/imunologiaRESUMO
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating condition of the CNS, characterized by perivascular infiltrates composed largely of T lymphocytes and macrophages. Although the precise cause remains unknown, numerous avenues of research support the hypothesis that autoimmune mechanisms play a major role in the development of the disease. Pathologically similar lesions to those seen in MS can be induced in laboratory rodents by immunization with CNS-derived antigens. This form of disease induction, broadly termed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, is frequently the starting point in MS research with respect to studying pathogenesis and creating novel treatments. Many different EAE models are available, each mimicking a particular facet of MS. These models all have common ancestry, and have developed from a single concept of immunization with self-antigen. We will discuss the major changes in immunology research, which have shaped the EAE models we use today, and discuss how current animal models of MS have resulted in successful treatments and more open questions for researchers to address.
Assuntos
Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/história , Esclerose Múltipla/etiologia , Animais , Autoantígenos/história , Autoantígenos/imunologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/etiologia , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/genética , Encefalomielite Autoimune Experimental/imunologia , Marcação de Genes/história , História do Século XX , História do Século XXI , Humanos , Camundongos , Esclerose Múltipla/imunologia , Esclerose Múltipla/terapia , Células Th17/imunologiaRESUMO
The 11th Australasian Autoimmunity Workshop was held in Melbourne, Australia from July 6-8, 2007 organized by the Monash University Autoimmunity Network. The workshops, founded by the late Kevin Lafferty, are a chance for Australasians interested in research into autoimmune disease to present and discuss their work. This workshop also was a chance to acknowledge Ian Mackay, a pioneer clinician-scientist who has made major contributions to our understanding of autoimmune diseases. Friends, colleagues and former students attended the Workshop and acknowledged Ian's expertise and mentorship. This edition of the Journal of Autoimmunity pays tribute to Ian Mackay. It features articles from attendees at the workshop, and contributions from some of Ian's past students and past and current collaborators.
