IL-1 strategy in diabetes
Building upon evidence that inflammation plays the same kind of role in the genesis of Type II diabetes as it does in cardiovascular disease, Xoma Inc. last week put its Xoma 052 MAb targeting interleukin-1 beta into Phase I trials for Type II diabetes. With a safety profile it says is similar to Kineret anakinra but a longer half-life and a mechanism of action theoretically requiring less compound, XOMA hopes its candidate will be an improved IL-1 blocker.
IL-1 plays a well known role in inflammatory processes. It forms a complex with IL-1 receptor and IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP) at the cell surface, signaling the cell nucleus to activate the inflammatory response. If any one of the three components that form the complex is blocked - for instance, by the endogenous protein IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) - then inflammation also is blocked...