Safety, pharmacokinetics and CNS distribution of tralesinidase alfa administered via intracerebroventricular infusion to juvenile cynomolgus monkeys.

Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIB (MPS IIIB) is an ultrarare, fatal pediatric disease with no approved therapy. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding for lysosomal enzyme alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAGLU). Tralesinidase alfa (TA) is a fusion protein comprised of recombinant NAGLU and a modified human insulin-like growth factor 2 that is being developed as an enzyme replacement therapy for MPS IIIB.

Tralesinidase Alfa Enzyme Replacement Therapy Prevents Disease Manifestations in a Canine Model of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IIIB.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome B; OMIM #252920) is a lethal, pediatric, neuropathic, autosomal recessive, and lysosomal storage disease with no approved therapy. Patients are deficient in the activity of N-acetyl-alpha-glucosaminidase (NAGLU; EC 3.2.

Longitudinal Natural History of Pediatric Subjects Affected with Mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB.

Objective: To characterize the longitudinal natural history of disease progression in pediatric subjects affected with mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIB.

Study Design: Sixty-five children with a confirmed diagnosis of MPS IIIB were enrolled into 1 of 2 natural history studies and followed for up to 4 years. Cognitive and adaptive behavior functions were analyzed in all subjects, and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging analysis of liver, spleen, and brain, as well as levels of heparan sulfate (HS) and heparan sulfate nonreducing ends (HS-NRE), were measured in a subset of subjects.

Characterization of binding, functional activity, and contractile responses of the selective 5-HT receptor agonist lasmiditan.

Background And Purpose: Triptans are 5-HT receptor agonists (that also display 5-HT receptor affinity) with antimigraine action, contraindicated in patients with coronary artery disease due to their vasoconstrictor properties. Conversely, lasmiditan was developed as an antimigraine 5-HT receptor agonist. To assess the selectivity and cardiovascular effects of lasmiditan, we investigated the binding, functional activity, and in vitro/in vivo vascular effects of lasmiditan and compared it to sumatriptan.

Preclinical Development of EBI-005: An IL-1 Receptor-1 Inhibitor for the Topical Ocular Treatment of Ocular Surface Inflammatory Diseases.

Objective: Topical interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (R)1 blockade is therapeutically active in reducing signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Herein, we describe in vitro and in vivo nonclinical Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies of EBI-005, a novel protein chimera of IL-1β and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra or anakinra) that potently binds IL-1R1 and blocks signaling. These studies provide an assessment of receptor affinity, drug bioavailability, immunogenic response, safety, and tolerability in mice and rabbits.

A Phase 2 Exploratory Study of a Novel Interleukin-1 Receptor Inhibitor (EBI-005) in the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Allergic Conjunctivitis.

Objectives: Many allergic conjunctivitis (AC) patients are inadequately treated with conventional therapies or require steroids. EBI-005 was developed to address the late phase allergic response. This study's objectives were to evaluate two adapted clinical models for this indication and to assess safety and biological activity of EBI-005 in AC.

Crystal structure of an HSA/FcRn complex reveals recycling by competitive mimicry of HSA ligands at a pH-dependent hydrophobic interface.

The long circulating half-life of serum albumin, the most abundant protein in mammalian plasma, derives from pH-dependent endosomal salvage from degradation, mediated by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). Using yeast display, we identified human serum albumin (HSA) variants with increased affinity for human FcRn at endosomal pH, enabling us to solve the crystal structure of a variant HSA/FcRn complex. We find an extensive, primarily hydrophobic interface stabilized by hydrogen-bonding networks involving protonated histidines internal to each protein.

Reduction of product-related species during the fermentation and purification of a recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist at the laboratory and pilot scale.

Through a parallel approach of tracking product quality through fermentation and purification development, a robust process was designed to reduce the levels of product-related species. Three biochemically similar product-related species were identified as byproducts of host-cell enzymatic activity. To modulate intracellular proteolytic activity, key fermentation parameters (temperature, pH, trace metals, EDTA levels, and carbon source) were evaluated through bioreactor optimization, while balancing negative effects on growth, productivity, and oxygen demand.

Design of a superior cytokine antagonist for topical ophthalmic use.

IL-1 is a key inflammatory and immune mediator in many diseases, including dry-eye disease, and its inhibition is clinically efficacious in rheumatoid arthritis and cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes. To treat ocular surface disease with a topical biotherapeutic, the uniqueness of the site necessitates consideration of the agent's size, target location, binding kinetics, and thermal stability. Here we chimerized two IL-1 receptor ligands, IL-1β and IL-1Ra, to create an optimized receptor antagonist, EBI-005, for topical ocular administration.

Macrophage-specific chemokines induced via innate immunity by amino acid copolymers and their role in EAE.

The random amino acid copolymer poly(Y,E,A,K)(n) (Copaxone®) is widely used in multiple sclerosis treatment and a second generation copolymer poly(Y,F,A,K)(n) with enhanced efficacy in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice has been described. A major mechanism through which copolymers function to ameliorate disease is the generation of immunosuppressive IL-10-secreting regulatory T cells entering the CNS. In addition, the antigen presenting cell to which these copolymers bind through MHC Class II proteins may have an important role.

Safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic evaluations of PI-2301, a potent immunomodulator, in a first-in-human, single-ascending-dose study in healthy volunteers.

PI-2301 is an amino acid copolymer acting as an immunomodulator for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The present study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics of PI-2301 in a single ascending dose, first-in-human study involving healthy, male adult volunteers. A total of 56 subjects were given a subcutaneous injection of PI-2301 ranging from 0.

In vivo delivery of heat shock protein 70 accelerates wound healing by up-regulating macrophage-mediated phagocytosis.

Injury causes tissue breakdown, which releases large quantities of intracellular contents into the extracellular space. Some of these materials are well-established activators of the immune system and include heat shock proteins (HSPs), uric acid, nucleotides, High Mobility Group Box-1 protein (HMGB-1), and DNA. Here, we show that in vivo delivery of HSPs into BALB/cJ mice with full-thickness wounds accelerates the rate of wound closure by 60% as compared with control-treated mice.

In vivo treatment of mice with heat shock protein, gp 96, improves survival of skin grafts with minor and major antigenic disparity.

Immunization with high doses of heat shock protein, gp 6 given in vivo, has been shown to mediate the activation of CD4+ T cell, which in turn suppresses an ongoing CD8+ immune response. Here we demonstrate that high doses of gp 6 (HDgp 6) (100 microg given subcutaneously on days 0 and 7 following skin graft transplantation) improve survival of skin grafts with both minor and major histocompatibility. First, skin from male C57BL/6 donors was grafted onto female C57BL/6 recipients that were subsequently treated with either HDgp 6 or buffer and graft survival was monitored.

Exogenous heat shock protein 70 binds macrophage lipid raft microdomain and stimulates phagocytosis, processing, and MHC-II presentation of antigens.

The extracellular presence of endotoxin-free heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) enhances the rate and capacity of macrophage-mediated phagocytosis at 6 times the basal rate. It is protein-specific, dose- and time-dependent and involves the internalization of inert microspheres, Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and fungi. Structurally, exogenous HSP70 binds the macrophage plasma membrane, specifically on its lipid raft-microdomain.

Glycoprotein 96 can chaperone both MHC class I- and class II-restricted epitopes for in vivo presentation, but selectively primes CD8+ T cell effector function.

The ability of mature T lymphocytes to develop effector capacity after encounter with cognate Ag is generally dependent upon inflammatory signals associated with infection that induce dendritic cell activation/maturation. These inflammatory signals can derive directly from pathogens or can be expressed by host cells in response to infection. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a class of host-derived inflammatory mediators that perform the dual function of both chaperoning MHC class I-restricted epitopes into the cross-presentation pathway of DCs and inducing the activation/maturation of these DCs to allow priming of cognate CD8(+) T cell effector responses.

Immune modulation with high-dose heat-shock protein gp96: therapy of murine autoimmune diabetes and encephalomyelitis.

Immunization with heat-shock protein (HSP) gp96 elicits protective immunity to the cancer or virus-infected cells from which it is derived. Low doses of gp96 generate immunity, while doses 10 times the immunizing dose do not. We show here that injection of high doses of gp96 generates CD4(+) T cells that down-regulate a variety of ongoing immune responses.