The study, published in Molecular Immunology, describes one of the first human antibodies potently neutralizing human GM-CSF.
GM-CSF is a key pro-inflammatory cytokine responsible for the proliferation, activation, and survival of a host of immune cells, which play pivotal roles in the development and progression of inflammatory diseases.
A significant benefit of neutralizing GM-CSF has been shown in animal models for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis.
Results from in-vitro studies demonstrate that MT203 binds human GM-CSF with low picomolar affinity and potently prevents GM-CSF-induced proliferation as well as production of the chemokine IL-8.
Moreover, the human antibody was observed to significantly reduce both the activation and survival of human eosinophils, which are involved in the development of a number of inflammatory lung diseases. MT203 retained full neutralizing activity after 5 days in human serum at 37C.
“By neutralizing GM-CSF, we believe we have tapped a novel pharmaceutical target for the potential treatment of patients with inflammatory diseases,” commented Patrick Baeuerle, chief scientific officer of Micromet.