BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)

March 17, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest TNF inhibitors could help treat chronic viral infections involving loss of CD4+ T cell function. In blood from HIV patient samples and a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, low CD4+ T cell counts correlated with high TNF levels. In a mouse model of chronic LCMV infection, an anti-TNF antibody increased the numbers of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells expressing interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon γ (IFNγ) in the spleen and decreased serum viral titers compared with vehicle. Next steps could include testing TNF inhibitors in models of other chronic viral infections associated with low CD4+ T cell counts.

Exicure Inc. has submitted an IND for AST-005, a topical spherical nucleic acid-based therapeutic targeting TNF, to treat psoriasis. ...