Cancer

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting IL-6 could help treat glioblastoma. In patients, endothelial cell levels of IL-6 were higher in tumors than in normal brain tissue. In a mouse model of glioblastoma, endothelial cell-specific knockout of IL-6 increased survival, leukocyte infiltration into tumors and tumor necrosis, and decreased microvascular density in the tumors and tumor growth compared with normal IL-6 expression in endothelial cells. Next steps include testing undisclosed IL-6 inhibitors in glioblastoma patients.

Johnson & Johnson markets Sylvant siltuximab, a chimeric mAb against IL-6, to treat multicentric Castleman’s disease and has the compound in Phase I/II testing to treat psychiatric disorders and schizophrenia. ...