Analysing immune cells to find biomarkers to predict disease progression and predict who is most likely to benefit from IL-2 treatment for MND.
Principal Investigator: Professor Timothy Tree
Lead Institution: King's College London
MND Association Funding: £301,606.50
Funding dates: September 2025 - May 2028
About the project
Changes in the immune system of people with MND have been linked with disease progression. One type of immune cells called ‘Tregs’ show a strong link with disease progression. The MIROCALS trial explored the therapeutic potential of increasing Treg levels in MND with a drug called Interleukin 2 (IL-2). Whilst the trial results are not clear-cut, they do suggest the potential of modifying the immune system as a therapeutic target for MND. To improve the treatment, it is important to understand exactly how the drug is working in the body and to identify the different factors that might affect the way different people with MND respond to the treatment.
In this study, the researchers are analysing immune cells in the blood and spinal fluid collected from people enrolled in the MIROCALS trial. Researchers will study how the immune cells in the participant’s samples change over time—both as the disease progresses and after treatment. Then, they will compare these changes to clinical data collected during the trial, such as ALSFRS-R (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale – Revised) scores, which track a person’s ability to do everyday tasks like walking, speaking, and swallowing. This will allow the researchers to link immune cell changes with clinical changes seen in the trial participants.
What could this mean for MND research?
By combining clinical data from the trial with biological sample analysis, this project aims to expand our understanding of the role of the immune system in MND progression, which may identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for MND. Also, the researchers hope to understand how IL-2 influences disease progression and identify biomarkers that show who is most likely to benefit from IL-2 treatment, to improve the treatment as a potential therapy for MND.
Project code: 2480-791