Antibody Inhibits Inflammatory Bowel Disease
A collaboration study led by Professor Hudson Freeze, Ph.D., director of Burnham’s glycobiology and others from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research has found that an antibody which binds to an unusual sugar molecule residing in the gut halts the inflammation seen in Crohn’s disease and other intestinal inflammations.
The antibody could prove to be a promising drug target for these common chronic intestinal disorders.
The antibody, Dr. Freeze suggests, could prove to be an effective remedy for autoimmune disorders if it can act specifically on hyperactive inflammation, while preserving the immune system. RemicadeTM, an antibody-based drug currently used for Crohn’s, works by inhibiting the cytokines that are summoned into action at a later phase of these diseases.
“Our next step is to identify the molecular players in the body’s early inflammatory response in the intestine,” said Freeze.
The team is focusing on one particular molecule called RAGE (short for Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products), which has been implicated in the pathology of inflammation, as well as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. They are also determining the exact molecular structure of the tweaked sugar chain, and will determine what other molecules and receptors may interact with it.
Eventually, the researchers hope that they will have enough promising information to merit a clinical trial to test the antibody’s effectiveness. “Our antibody was developed for use in mice. We need to “humanize” it, make the antibody suitable for human consumption. This could take some development, but the results could be very beneficial,” Freeze said.
Filed under Cancer, Diabetes, Health
September 30th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Good news. Thanks.