Selection of a novel and highly specific tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) antagonist: insight from the crystal structure of the antagonist-TNFalpha complex.

ABSTRACT: Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a favorable way of treating several important diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, and psoriasis. Therefore, an extensive range of TNFalpha inhibitory proteins, most of them based upon an antibody scaffold, has been developed and used with variable success as therapeutics. We have developed a novel technology platform using C-type lectins as a vehicle for the creation of novel trimeric therapeutic proteins with increased avidity and unique properties as compared with current protein therapeutics. We chose human TNFalpha as a test target to validate this new technology because of the extensive experience available with protein-based TNFalpha antagonists. Here, we present a novel and highly specific TNFalpha antagonist

SUBMITTER: Byla P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2852948 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature