title: Development of human tumor necrosis factor-alpha muteins with improved therapeutic potential.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) exhibits cytotoxicity towards various tumor cells in vitro and induces apoptotic necrosis in transplanted tumors in vivo. It also shows severe toxicity when used systemically for the treatment of cancer patients, hampering the development of TNF-alpha as a potential anticancer drug. In order to understand the structure-function relation of TNF-alpha with respect to receptor binding, we selected four regions on the bottom of the TNF-alpha trimer that are in close contact with the receptor and carried out mutagenesis studies and computational modeling. From the study, various TNF-alpha muteins with a high therapeutic index were identified. These results will provide a structural basis for the design of highly potent TNF-alpha for therapeutic purposes. By conjugating TNF-alpha muteins with a high therapeutic index to a fusion partner, which targets a marker of angiogenesis, it could be possible to develop TNF-alpha based anticancer drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Life Science and Computer Aided Molecular Design Research Center, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Hyojin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang-Hwi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hang-Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha