Background: Sarilumab is the first fully human monoclonal antibody (mAb) directed against the interleukin-6 receptor alpha (IL-6Rα). Sarilumab was developed using VelocImmune ® mice immunized with the human IL-6 (hIL-6) receptor. VelocImmune mice are genetically-engineered to express human antibody variable domain genes in the same robust fashion that the replaced mouse genes are typically expressed. Sarilumab is currently being explored as a new therapeutic modality for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Objectives: To evaluate the kinetic binding parameters and in vitro functional activity of two monoclonal antibodies directed against IL-6Rα: the fully human mAb sarilumab and the humanized mAb tocilizumab. Methods: Kinetic binding parameters were measured using Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology. The ability to block hIL-6 induced activation of the human IL-6Rα was investigated using several bioassays; a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, transfected with a STAT3-luciferase reporter plasmid, as well as a proliferation assay using the human B-lymphoma cell line, DS-1. Results: Sarilumab bound with high affinity to recombinant monomeric human and monkey IL-6 receptor with a K D value of 61.9 pM and 71.9 pM, respectively. The binding affinity of sarilumab to the dimeric human IL-6 receptor Fc-fusion was 12.8 pM. Cross-reactivity to mouse IL-6 receptor was not observed using SPR, indicating that sarilumab is specific to human and monkey IL-6 receptor. In contrast, tocilizumab bound to monomeric and dimeric forms of the human IL-6 receptor with a 15-22 fold weaker affinity than that of sarilumab as determined by SPR. In the HepG2 cell luciferase reporter assay, sarilumab effectively blocked luciferase activity induced by 50 pM hIL-6 with an IC 50 of 146 pM and was ~4 fold more potent than tocilizumab. Similarly, in the DS-1 cell proliferation assay, sarilumab effectively blocked growth induced by 1.0 pM hIL-6 with an IC 50 of 226 pM and was several fold more potent than tocilizumab. Conclusions: Based on these in vitro assay data, sarilumab has both a higher relative binding affinity for IL-6Rα, blocks IL-6Rα activation, and inhibits IL-6-induced cellular responses such as cell proliferation at lower concentrations than tocilizumab. Acknowledgements: VelocImmune ® is a registered trademark of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
We examined whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced autophagy provides cytoprotection from renal tubular epithelial cell injury due to oxidants and chemical hypoxia in vitro, as well as from ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in vivo. We demonstrate that the ER stress inducer tunicamycin triggers an unfolded protein response, upregulates ER chaperone Grp78, and activates the autophagy pathway in renal tubular epithelial cells in culture. Inhibition of ER stress-induced autophagy accelerated caspase–3 activation and cell death suggesting a pro-survival role of ER stress-induced autophagy. Compared to wild-type cells, autophagy-deficient MEFs subjected to ER stress had enhanced caspase–3 activation and cell death, a finding that further supports the cytoprotective role of ER stress-induced autophagy. Induction of autophagy by ER stress markedly afforded cytoprotection from oxidants H2O2 and tert-Butyl hydroperoxide and from chemical hypoxia induced by antimycin A. In contrast, inhibition of ER stress-induced autophagy or autophagy-deficient cells markedly enhanced cell death in response to oxidant injury and chemical hypoxia. In mouse kidney, similarly to renal epithelial cells in culture, tunicamycin triggered ER stress, markedly upregulated Grp78, and activated autophagy without impairing the autophagic flux. In addition, ER stress-induced autophagy markedly ameliorated renal IR injury as evident from significant improvement in renal function and histology. Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine markedly increased renal IR injury. These studies highlight beneficial impact of ER stress-induced autophagy in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury both in vitro and in vivo.
IntroductionThe immunoregulatory function of interleukin (IL)-29 has recently been recognized. However, little is known about the involvement of IL-29 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to examine the expression profiles of IL-29 in blood, synovial fluid (SF) and synovium in RA patients and investigate the effect of IL-29 on cytokines production in RA synovial fibroblasts.MethodsThe transcript levels of IL-29 and its specific receptor IL-28Rα in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and synovium were determined by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). The concentrations of IL-29 in serum and synovial fluid (SF) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), and the correlation of serum IL-29 levels with disease activity in RA patients was investigated. Furthermore, the expression of IL-29 in RA synovium was examined by immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence analysis. Finally, the expression of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17 and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) in synovial fibroblasts upon IL-29 stimulation was determined by real-time PCR.ResultsIL-29 and IL-28Rα mRNA expression in PBMC was significantly increased in patients with RA compared with healthy controls (HC). The serum levels of circulating IL-29 were higher in RA than those in HC. Increased IL-29 levels were detected in RA SF when compared with osteoarthritis (OA) SF. However, serum IL-29 levels showed no significant correlation with RA disease activity. IL-29 was mostly expressed in the lining region of RA synovium. Moreover, IL-29 was expressed predominately in synovial macrophages and fibroblasts. RA synovial fibroblasts exposed to IL-29 specifically upregulated IL-6, -8 and MMP-3 but downregulated IL-10.ConclusionsThe findings in the present study indicate, for the first time, that IL-29 is dysregulated in patients with RA, which may contribute to the RA pathogenesis via inducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines or matrix metalloproteinases in synovial fibroblasts.
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