Therapeutic Targeting of Chemokines with Monoclonal Antibodies

Chemokines cannot be easily antagonized by low molecular weight (LMW) compounds and are therefore more suitable for targeting clinically via ‘biologics’. Significant beneficial features of mAbs as compared to LMW compounds include a high selectivity for their target, reducing the risk of off-target side effects, as well as the prolonged pharmacokinetics, with half-lives ranging from days to weeks, necessitating less frequent dosing. In this HOT TOPIC, our aim is to focus on reviewing available information regarding anti-chemokine mAbs that have reached clinical development stage and discuss not only the target relevance and the clinical outcomes, but also describe the characteristics of the therapeutic antibodies. Indeed, as clinical efficacy - or lack thereof - is highly dependent on the biology of the target, so are the properties and administration modality of the drug which will also impact on the clinical outcome and thus on the validity of targeting chemokines in disease settings. Keywords: Chemokines, drug development, glycosaminoglycans, inflammation, monoclonal antibody