The therapeutic potential of anti-cytokine antibodies in the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease.
The outcome of inflammatory diseases is likely to be dependent upon the relative balance of pro- versus anti-inflammatory cytokines. Control of this balance through the use of anti-cytokine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) promises to be an effective means of disease therapy. The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with anti- tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) mAb has dramatically ameliorated disease symptoms, indicating that such a treatment approach can be highly successful. Similarly, based on animal studies, the use of neutralising anti-interleukin (IL)-12 mAb may prove efficacious in a number of inflammatory disorders, particularly for IBD.
DNAX Research Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Palo Alto, California 94303, USA.
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Davidson