Is TL1A the new TNFα?

With three pharma deals this year and emerging clinical proof-of-concept data, momentum is growing for TL1A as a therapeutic target for autoimmunity, particularly for inflammatory bowel diseases where it promises to quell the over-amplification of the inflammatory response.

Since its discovery in 2002, evidence has mounted in human patient populations suggesting TL1A plays important roles in autoimmune diseases. A key rationale for the target came from identification of genetic polymorphisms in TL1A that confer susceptibility for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Increased expression of TL1A has also been observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. ...