The Change Mariner

New antibody delivers a double blow

New Scientist:

A two-pronged assault on diseases such as cancer and arthritis could soon be delivered by a single drug, thanks to a breakthrough in antibody engineering.

Antibodies are proteins that bind to specific targets, such as a virus. Their specificity means they have great promise for treating a wide range of diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, can now be treated with antibodies that bind to and neutralise tumour necrosis factor (TNF), a signalling molecule that aggravates inflammation.

But these antibodies work in only half of patients, says Ian Tomlinson, chief scientific officer of the drug company Domantis in Cambridge, UK, because other immune signalling molecules play a role as well.

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