Anti-Factor D Antibody Reduces Systemic Inflammation.(Brief Article)

2001 SEP 5 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

Tanox, Inc. (TNOX) reported positive results in using TNX-224, its anti-factor D monoclonal antibody, to reduce inflammatory responses in an experimental model of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Tanox's scientists, together with researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, and the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, reported that TNX-224 (previously known as 166-32) effectively inhibited the activation of complement, neutrophils, and platelets. TNX-224 is a monoclonal antibody specific for factor D, a key element of the alternative complement pathway that controls complement activation. The reported data suggest that inhibition of complement activation by TNX-224 could be useful in reducing systemic inflammation in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass.

In the study, published in the July 2001 issue of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, TNX-224 was added to freshly collected blood from five healthy donors and recirculated through a pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, to mimic the condition of open-heart surgery procedures. An irrelevant monoclonal antibody was used as a negative control with the same donor blood in a parallel bypass circuit on the same day. Blood samples were collected at different time points during recirculation for measurement of activation of complement, neutrophils, and platelets.

TNX-224 effectively inhibited complement activation and blocked the production of the products Bb, C3a, sC5b-9, and C5a. Upregulation of adhesion molecules CD11b on neutrophils and CD62P on platelets was also significantly inhibited by TNX-224, which is consistent with the inhibition of ...