In 1987, Professor J. Edwin Blalock of the University of Alabama conceived the idea of a novel way of producing an anti-idiotypic vaccine to cure autoimmune diseases. The technique was patented on 18 May 1993, under US patent number 5,212,072.
To test this concept, Professor Blalock selected myasthenia gravis (MG) because it is well documented and understood, has an identifiable and measurable antibody level and testing could be carried out using appropriate animal models (rats) that closely simulate the human disease.
The vaccine was highly effective.
click here to watch the video of the MGFA 2002