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| TNF (Tough Nasty Factor) – what is it and how does it work? |
The effects of rheumatoid arthritis | One of Apollo’s most important areas of research involves TNF blockers – but what are they and how do they work?
As the name suggests, they block the action of a protein known as TNF, or Tumour Necrosis Factor. This protein was originally shown to inhibit the growth of tumours, but is now known to have many functions and many of them have little to do with tumours.
Today TNF is understood to play a key part in the inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn ’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis.
In autoimmune disease, a person’s immune system treats healthy cells, such as those surrounding a joint, as foreign and responds by attacking those normal cells. Inflammation and swelling are some of the symptoms.
The main attack arm in the immune system is white blood cells, which move in to the area and produce proteins, including TNF-alpha, that cause inflammation. The TNF-alpha then does a number of things that add to the inflammation. For example, it stimulates macrophages, which are cells that tell the immune system there are intruders, to produce more TNF and other inflammation-causing proteins. It also encourages other immune system cells to move into the inflamed areas, and it stimulates the release of chemicals that damage joints. As a result, pain and swelling increase.
The challenge is to develop drugs to interrupt or reduce this inflammation cycle. This is where TNF blockers come in. They work by binding to TNF-alpha, to stop it from interacting with other cells of the immune system. Blocking the TNF can reduce swelling and make life easier for patients.
Apollo is breaking new ground by developing TNF blockers that can be delivered via a tablet or cream using its Oradel™ and TransD™ technologies. This would mean an end to painful injections and IV drips for thousands of people.
The company’s TNF blockers are based on Apollo’s wholly human proteins, which perform more effectively because they more closely mimic those in the human body. Combining Apollo’s delivery technologies with its own wholly human proteins should also mean the chances of side effects are significantly less, and that these drugs can be taken at lower doses.
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