Regulatory T cells (Treg) are an immune cell population that plays an active role in protecting humans against rheumatoid arthritis. The delivery of drugs specifically to Treg to boost their activity is highly desirable since it could lead to more efficient therapies against rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is still no approach to deliver drugs into specific immune cell populations in living animals.

Dr. Massimo Bottini has developed chemically engineered nanoscopic particles which can efficiently and safely bring pharmaceutical and diagnostic agents into selected cells in living animals. In this clinical study, he is targeting drug delivery only to Treg, and he predicts that new approaches and lower doses of drugs can be used, thereby opening new avenues for low-risk treatment and/or prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.