[A humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody(MRA) in RA therapy].
Hyperproduction of Interleukin-6(IL-6) is observed in the rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients and serum level of IL-6 is closely related to disease activity. IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine and its hyperfunctions explain most of the clinical symptoms in RA. Since MRA is humanized antibody from a mouse anti-human IL-6 receptor antibody, MRA can be administered repeatedly because of its low antigenesity to human. MRA inhibits IL-6 function by the blocking IL-6 binding to IL-6 receptor, resulting the prevention of development on collagen inducing arthritis(CIA) in cynomolgus monkeys whose IL-6R is cross-reacted with MRA. These evidence suggest that MRA has anti-arthritic effects. Clinical trials of MRA for RA patients have already started, and MRA therapy is effective as well as anti-TNF alpha and anti-IL-1 therapies.
Hagihara
Keisuke
K
Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University.
Nishimoto
Norihiro
N
Yoshizaki
Kazuyuki
K
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6