Preventative and therapeutic vaccination to combat an experimental autoimmune kidney disease.

We describe a new vaccination method called modified vaccination technique (MVT). The technique is able to achieve downregulation of pathogenic autoimmune events leading to a chronic progressive disorder in rats called slowly progressive Heymann nephritis. Downregulation of immunopathological events is achieved by injections of immune complex (IC) made up of the target native antigen (ag) and specific naturally occurring immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody (ab) directed against it. Repeated injections of IC maintain high levels of specific circulating IgM autoantibodies (aabs) against the kidney ag. The developing physiologic IgM aabs assist in the catabolism of both modified and unmodified renal ags from the circulation. No disease-causing renal ags in the circulation results in no stimulation of pathogenic immunoglobulin G aab producing cell lines. Such specific targeted therapy leads to termination of disease-causing processes and reestablishment of tolerance. The MVT can be employed both prophylactically and therapeutically with equal effectiveness. A redirected immune response is achieved by specifically stimulating the animals' own IgM-producing cell lines with the injected ICs, resulting in a natural cure. Such ICs are nontoxic and nonirritant and cause no side effects. We surmise that the MVT, employing the appropriate components in each instance, can also be used to treat human ailments.