IL11-mediated stromal cell activation may not be the master regulator of pro-fibrotic signaling downstream of TGFβ.

Fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and systemic scleroderma (SSc), are commonly associated with high morbidity and mortality, thereby representing a significant unmet medical need. Interleukin 11 (IL11)-mediated cell activation has been identified as a central mechanism for promoting fibrosis downstream of TGFβ. IL11 signaling has recently been reported to promote fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, thus leading to various pro-fibrotic phenotypic changes.

Elezanumab, a clinical stage human monoclonal antibody that selectively targets repulsive guidance molecule A to promote neuroregeneration and neuroprotection in neuronal injury and demyelination models.

Repulsive guidance molecule A (RGMa) is a potent inhibitor of axonal growth and a regulator of neuronal cell death. It is up-regulated following neuronal injury and accumulates in chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Neutralizing RGMa has the potential to promote neuroregeneration and neuroprotection.

Preferential germline usage and VH/VL pairing observed in human antibodies selected by mRNA display.

Since the invention of phage display, in vitro antibody display technologies have revolutionized the field of antibody discovery. In combination with antibody libraries constructed with sequences of human origin, such technologies enable accelerated therapeutic antibody discovery while bypassing the laborious animal immunization and hybridoma generation processes. Many in vitro display technologies developed since aim to differentiate from phage display by displaying full-length IgG proteins, utilizing eukaryotic translation system and codons, increasing library size or real-time kinetic selection by fluorescent activated cell sorting.

Modulation of the membrane-binding projection domain of tau protein: splicing regulation of exon 3.

Tau is a microtubule-associated protein whose transcript undergoes complex regulated splicing in the mammalian nervous system. The N-terminal domain of the protein interacts with the axonal membrane, and is modulated by differential inclusion of exons 2 and 3. These two tau exons are alternatively spliced cassettes, in which exon 3 never appears independently of exon 2.