IL-23

[dignan]

This seems too early for the pipeline even...



Anti-IL-23 therapy inhibits multiple inflammatory pathways and ameliorates autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

J Clin Invest. 2006 May 1;116(5):1317-1326.
Chen Y, Langrish CL, McKenzie B, Joyce-Shaikh B, Stumhofer JS, McClanahan T, Blumenschein W, Churakovsa T, Low J, Presta L, Hunter CA, Kastelein RA, Cua DJ.
Discovery Research, Schering-Plough Biopharma, Palo Alto, California, USA. Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Experimental Pathology and Pharmacology and Protein Engineering, Schering-Plough Biopharma, Palo Alto, California, USA.

IL-23 is a member of the IL-12 cytokine family that drives a highly pathogenic T cell population involved in the initiation of autoimmune diseases. We have shown that IL-23-dependent, pathogenic T cells produced IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-6, and TNF but not IFN-gamma or IL-4. We now show that T-bet and STAT1 transcription factors are not required for the initial production of IL-17. However, optimal IL-17 production in response to IL-23 stimulation appears to require the presence of T-bet.

To explore the clinical efficacy of targeting the IL-23 immune pathway, we generated anti-IL-23p19-specific antibodies and tested to determine whether blocking IL-23 function can inhibit EAE, a preclinical animal model of human multiple sclerosis. Anti-IL-23p19 treatment reduced the serum level of IL-17 as well as CNS expression of IFN-gamma, IP-10, IL-17, IL-6, and TNF mRNA. In addition, therapeutic treatment with anti-IL-23p19 during active disease inhibited proteolipid protein (PLP) epitope spreading and prevented subsequent disease relapse.

Thus, therapeutic targeting of IL-23 effectively inhibited multiple inflammatory pathways that are critical for driving CNS autoimmune inflammation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... med_docsum