Targeting of Interleukin-6 for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Review and Update

Abstract

Tanaka et al., Rheumatol Curr Res 2013, S4 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2161-1149 Review ArticleOpen Access AbstractRheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, characterized by persistent joint inflammation, systemic inflammation and immunological abnormalities. Since IL-6 plays a major role in the development of these characteristics, its targeting could reasonably be expected to constitute a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of RA. Tocilizumab, a humanized anti-human IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated its outstanding clinical efficacy and tolerable safety profile in phase III clinical trials for RA patients, resulting in its worldwide approval for moderate-to-severe active RA. Post-marketing clinical trials have confirmed its efficacy. This success led to the development of various other IL-6 inhibitors. Further clinical studies including head-to-head comparative studies, and clarification of the mechanisms through which tocilizumab exerts its clinical effects can be expected to identify RA patients who should be treated with tocilizumab as a first-line biologic. In addition, recent case reports and pilot studies indicate that therapies targeting IL-6 will be widely applicable to the treatment of various intractable immune-mediated diseases.

Design and Optimisation of Bioactive Cyclic Peptides: Generation of a Down-Regulator of TNF Secretion

“…However, the fact that both of these can be reduced by a single agent - Lex 2.6—is another encouraging factor suggesting efficacy of this peptide in the human disease, since it has been shown that interfering with the activity of either one of these cytokines alone has an effect on the disease, in the case of IL6, reducing the destructive effects on synovial fibroblasts. [18,19,20]. The results of experiments to identify the receptor responsible for down-regulation of secretion of these cytokines will be reported elsewhere.…”