Selection of a novel and highly specific tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) antagonist: insight from the crystal structure of the antagonist-TNFalpha complex.

Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a favorable way of treating several important diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn disease, and psoriasis. Therefore, an extensive range of TNFalpha inhibitory proteins, most of them based upon an antibody scaffold, has been developed and used with variable success as therapeutics. We have developed a novel technology platform using C-type lectins as a vehicle for the creation of novel trimeric therapeutic proteins with increased avidity and unique properties as compared with current protein therapeutics.