Article
Integrin-directed antibody-based immunotherapy: focus on VLA-4
Registro en:
SAVINO, Wilson et al. Integrin-directed antibody-based immunotherapy: focus on VLA-4. Immunotherapy Advances, v. 1, n. 1, p. 1 -11, Feb. 2021.
1432-0851
10.1093/immadv/ltab002
Autor
Savino, Wilson
Chaves, Beatriz
Bonomo, Adriana Cesar
Almeida, Vinicius Cotta de
Resumen
One major finding of chronic inflammatory diseases of various origins is the establishment of inflamma tory infiltrates, bearing different leukocyte subpopulations, including activated T lymphocytes. Integrins are
among the large series of molecular interactions that have been implicated as players in both triggering
and maintenance of leukocyte influx from the blood into a given organ parenchyme. Accordingly, blocking
the interaction between VLA-6 integrin and laminin, experimentally abrogates heart graft rejection. Many
reports have shown that VLA-4 is used by T cells to cross endothelial barriers, as well as to migrate within
target tissues. In this respect, a humanized IgG4 anti-VLA-4 monoclonal antibody (specific to the α4-integrin
chain of VLA-4) has been successfully applied to treat multiple sclerosis as well as inflammatory bowel
disease. Anti-VLA-4 monoclonal antibody has also been applied to block transendothelial passage in other
autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. On this same vein is the action of such a reagent in
impairing in vitro transendothial and fibronectin-driven migration of CD4+
and CD8+
T cells expressing
high densities of VLA-4 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, thus potentially enlarging the use of
this strategy to other diseases. Yet, in a small number of patients, the use of Natalizumab has been correl ated with the progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a serious brain infection caused by the John
Cunningham virus. This issue restricted the use of the reagent. In this respect, the development of smaller
and more specific antibody reagents should be envisioned as a next-generation promising strategy.