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Psoriasis Treatment - An Engineered Locked Dimer of the Human Chemokine CCL20

Technology Benefits

The psoriasis market for prescription therapies is projected to reach nearly $8.2 billion in 2020 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Japan. Our CCL20 locked dimer would be benchmarked against topicals (such as clobetasol propionate, a steroidal anti-inflammatory commonly used as the initial treatment for psoriasis patients) injectable systemic therapies (such as anti-TNF monoclonal antibody, TNF inhibitors, and anti-IL-12/23 monoclonal antibody), and new oral therapies (such Otezla and Xeljanz). Anti-TNF agents occasionally have unpredictable side effects including the development of new skin eruptions. They broadly inhibit TNF-alpha, a cytokine involved in many aspects of immune defense against pathogens. Our CCL20 locked dimer acts further downstream, potentially making it more specific than the agents in current use but just as effective.

Detailed Technology Description

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*Abstract

Chemokines are small proteins that stimulate the migration of cells and are thus thought to play a major role in inflammation, wound healing, autoimmune diseases, as well as the ΓÇ£homingΓÇØ of stem cells and the spread of cancer cells. In nature, most chemokines ΓÇ£self-associateΓÇØ to form dimers of two identical molecules linked together non-covalently. The monomeric and dimeric forms exist in equilibrium. However, whereas the monomer is a receptor agonist, the dimer is an antagonist. The invention is a constitutively locked (always) dimeric form of CCL20 (ΓÇ£CCL20S64CΓÇØ) that binds to the CCL20 receptor (CCR6). Proof-of-concept studies show that the locked dimer inhibits cell migration. Moreover, CCL20S64C was shown to have therapeutic potential in a mouse model human of psoriasis.

*Principal Investigator

Name: Brian Volkman

Department:

Country/Region

USA