Development of Immunomodulatory Agents for Gastrointestinal Diseases

Drawing upon extensive expertise in gastric mucosal pathophysiology, Ace Therapeutics develops innovative preclinical platforms that enable rigorous evaluation of immunomodulatory candidates, accelerating the translation of promising gastrointestinal therapeutics.

Introduction to Immunomodulatory Agent s for Gastrointestinal Diseases

Immunomodulators now constitute fundamental therapeutic interventions for a spectrum of immune-driven gastrointestinal pathologies, encompassing inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), functional gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, and autoimmune conditions affecting the digestive tract including celiac disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis. These agents exert their clinical benefits through modulation of dysregulated immune responses, effectively suppressing excessive inflammation while providing symptomatic relief and altering the natural course of disease progression.

Fig. 1 Postbiotics display pleiotropic properties. (Żółkiewicz J, et al., 2020)

Types of Immunomodulatory Agents  We Can Develop

• Immunomodulatory Agents  Targeting Specific Inflammatory Signaling Pathway
  Dysregulation of inflammatory signaling pathways is linked to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases. The development of intestinal-restricted immunomodulators targeting pivotal immune regulators including TNF-α and pro-inflammatory interleukins offers a transformative approach for localized immune modulation in gastrointestinal disorders. Our platform enables the development of such targeted agents with optimized efficacy and safety profiles.
• Immunomodulatory Biologics
  Emerging research elucidates the gut microbiome's pivotal role in intestinal immune regulation. We specialize in developing next-generation microbial therapeutics that restore immune homeostasis for treating intestinal disorders.

What Can We Do for the Development of Immunomodulatory Agents?

In Vitro  Studies

• Immune Cell Function Assay
  Our advanced immunoanalytical platform enables precise isolation and functional characterization of intestinal immune cell populations, including quantitative assessment of lymphocyte proliferation/apoptosis dynamics, comprehensive cytokine secretion profiling (spanning anti-inflammatory IL-10 to pro-inflammatory TNF-α and IFN-γ), and precise characterization of CD4+ T-cell differentiation pathways (encompassing Th1, Th2, Th17 and regulatory T-cell subsets).
• Assessment of Intestinal Barrier Function
  Our integrated intestinal barrier assessment platform combines real-time transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) monitoring with precision fluorescent dextran permeability assays to dynamically evaluate tight junction integrity and paracellular transport regulation. This quantitative approach enables multidimensional characterization of the protective capacity of epithelial cells under physiological and pathological conditions.

In Vivo  Studies

• In Vivo  Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Stud ies
  For IBD therapeutic development, we employ well-characterized DSS colitis and TNBS colitis models with quantitative efficacy endpoints including colon morphometrics, standardized histopathological scoring, and multiplex cytokine regulation analysis (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-23), enabling robust preclinical validation.
• In Vivo   Antimicrobial Activity  Stud ies
  We can use Salmonella typhimuriumor Citrobacter rodentium to build intestinal infection models. Through integrated analysis of bacterial clearance kinetics, mucosal defense mechanisms, and immunocyte recruitment dynamics, we provide comprehensive assessment of a drug candidate's capacity to eradicate pathogens and restore gut immune homeostasis.

By providing comprehensive in vitro and in vivo evaluation services, Ace Therapeutics helps pharmaceutical companies and research organizations develop novel therapies for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Reference

1. Żółkiewicz, J.; et al. Postbiotics-A Step Beyond Pre- and Probiotics. Nutrients. 2020;12(8): 2189.

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