Cancer
Patient sample and mouse studies suggest inhibiting CCR5 or its interactions with CCL3, CCL4 and RANTES could help treat melanoma. In patient tissue samples, the number of CCR5-positive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and levels of the CCR5 ligands CCL3, CCL4 and RANTES were higher in tumor samples than in peripheral blood or serum. In a mouse model of melanoma, CCR5 knockout decreased tumor growth compared with normal CCR5 expression. In another mouse model of melanoma, a fusion protein consisting of a mouse CCR5 extracellular domain that inhibits CCR5-ligand interactions and the Fc region of mouse immunoglobulin light chain (IgLC) increased survival compared with a non-specific IgG. Next steps could include identifying and testing inhibitors of other CCR5 inhibitors in melanoma models.
Pfizer Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline plc market Selzentry maraviroc, a CCR5 antagonist, to treat HIV / AIDS...