# Targeting autoreactive antibodies for the therapy of MOG antibody-associated disease

> **NIH NIH R43** · ASTERO ERADO INC · 2021 · $250,915

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The overall goal of this project is to develop a novel therapeutic for the treatment of demyelinating
disease involving autoreactive antibodies specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG).
MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) encompasses aquaporin-4-antibody seronegative
neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, optic
neuritis, myelitis and brainstem encephalomyelitis and usually affects children or young adults.
The disease course is frequently relapsing, and can lead to blindness, debilitating paralysis and
cognitive effects.
 Current treatment regimens for MOGAD suffer from serious limitations. Immunosuppressants
such as prednisone/prednisolone or azathioprine lead to general immunosuppression and other
severe side effects. Plasma exchange to remove the autoreactive antibodies and other
inflammatory mediators results in adverse consequences in a high percentage of patients.
Further, the delivery of B cell depleting antibodies such as rituximab has led to disappointing
results, with relapses in around 30% patients. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop
new and improved therapies for the potentially devastating effects of MOGAD.
 The development of therapeutics to selectively target the pathogenic antibodies is expected
to overcome the current problems associated with treating MOGAD. This application seeks to
address this by generating engineered, antibody-based reagents that specifically and rapidly
deplete MOG-specific antibodies, whilst not affecting the levels of antibodies that have a
protective role against infection etc. This novel technology is called Seldeg technology (for
selective degradation).
 The Specific aims of the study are:
 1. To design and express Seldegs to target human MOG-specific antibodies.
 2. To analyze the stability and binding activity of the Seldegs.
 This approach could not only be transformative for the management of the potentially
devastating consequences of MOGAD, but would also lay the foundations for analogous
approaches to be taken in many other clinical settings where pathogenic antibodies lead to
disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10250601
- **Project number:** 1R43AI162194-01
- **Recipient organization:** ASTERO ERADO INC
- **Principal Investigator:** Sunil Kannanganat Sidharthan
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $250,915
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10250601

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10250601, Targeting autoreactive antibodies for the therapy of MOG antibody-associated disease (1R43AI162194-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10250601. Licensed CC0.

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