title: Viral serpin therapeutics from concept to clinic.
abstract: Over the past 19 years, we have developed a novel myxoma virus-derived anti-inflammatory serine protease inhibitor, termed a serpin, as a new class of immunomodulatory therapeutic. This review will describe the initial identification of viral serpins with anti-inflammatory potential, beginning with preclinical analysis of viral pathogenesis and proceeding to cell and molecular target analyses, and successful clinical trial. The central aim of this review is to describe the development of two serpins, Serp-1 and Serp-2, as a new class of immune modulating drug, from inception to implementation. We begin with an overview of the approaches used for successful mining of the virus for potential serpin immunomodulators in viruses. We then provide a methodological overview of one inflammatory animal model used to test for serpin anti-inflammatory activity followed by methods used to identify cells in the inflammatory response system targeted by these serpins and molecular responses to serpin treatment. Finally, we provide an overview of our findings from a recent, successful clinical trial of the secreted myxomaviral serpin, Serp-1, in patients with unstable inflammatory coronary arterial disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiovascular Medicine and Rheumatology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Donghang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davids
authors.forename: Mee Yong
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Bartee
authors.forename: Erbin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lyubomir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrov
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thoburn
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sobel
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moyer
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McFadden
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015843:Serpins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014780:Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D015843:Serpins