TNF

TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) is a pleiotropic cytokine with leading role in disease pathogenesis and therefore is a very attractive target for the treatment of a diverse array of diseases, including autoimmunity, cancer, infectious diseases, and graft-versus-host disease.

TNF inhibitors/blockers, include biologics and small molecule inhibitors that target diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis (UC), and Crohn’s disease. Several blockers, innovator compounds as well as biosimilars, are currently available in the market including Adalimumab (Humira), Adalimumab-atto (Amjevita), a biosimilar to Humira, Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia), Etanercept (Enbrel), Etanercept-szzs (Ereizi), a biosimilar to Enbrel, Golimumab (Simponi, Simponi Aria), Infliximab (Remicade), Infliximab-dyyb (Inflectra), a biosimilar to Remicade. A continuing interest in the field of TNF blockade is reflected in current efforts to develop next generation anti-TNF therapeutics.

An array of mouse models humanized for TNF, in combination with an array of spontaneous or induced disease models, offer ideal preclinical platforms for the efficient evaluation of therapeutics targeting the inhibition of human TNF.