Anti-TNFa-antibodies

Whereas initially the focus on antibody-based therapies was on cancer, anti-TNFa antibodies in particular have recently proven powerful in the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and rhemnatoid arthritis [71], These antibodies complex serum TNFa, the clinical benefit to RA patients most likely being the reduction of pro-inflammatory IL-6 and acute phase protein levels [9], Although they are directed against soluble proteins and as such will not serve as a drug carrier, they do show that targeted, i.e. selective, interference with a specific molecule or process can have a powerful effect without significant concomitant toxicity. 

Clinical trials have revealed that diseases that are related directly to excessive TNF production, such as septic shock, GVHD, and lupus nephritis, may be amenable to treatment either with anti-TNFa antibodies or with antiinflammatory agents that reduce TNF production, such as cyclosporin A and steroids. ... 

Horninger, D., Eirikis, E., Pendley, C., Giles Komar, J., Davis, H.M., and Miller, B.E. (2005) A one step, competitive electrochemiluminescence based immunoassay method for the quantification of a fully human anti TNFa antibody in human serum. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 38, 703 708. 

Shealy DJ, Wooley PH, Emmell E, Volk A, Rosenberg A,Treacy G, Wagner CL, Mayton L, Griswold DE, Song XR. Anti-TNFa antibody allows heaUng of joint damage in polyarthritic transgenic mice. Arthritis Res 2002 4 R7-R16. 

Human Research. Animal research has provided strong evidence for the role of TNFa in mediating inflammatory pain sensitivity and tissue destruction associated with chronic inflammatory conditions, and the successful use of anti-TNFa antibodies in animals has led to their use in human subjects. Various clinical trials... 

An example of this kind of target is tumor necrosis factor ( TNFa), an important cytokine shown to be a key player in many inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, a painful, debilitating, and difficult-to-treat disease. The anti-TNFa antibodies Remicade (infliximab), Humira (adalimumab), and Enbrel (etanercept), a soluble form of the ligand... 

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