Anti-CCL11 monoclonal antibody, clone 54022

Introduction: Biomarkers are critical tools for finding new approaches for controlling the spread of tuberculosis (TB), including for predicting the development of TB therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostic tools. Methods: Expression of immune biomarkers was analyzed in peripheral blood cells stimulated and non-stimulated with M. tuberculosis antigens ESAT-6, CFP10 and TB7.7. in Warao indigenous individuals. These biomarkers may be able to differentiate TB states, such as active tuberculosis (ATB) cases and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) from non-infected controls (NIC). A real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay was performed on 100 blood samples under non-stimulation or direct ex vivo conditions (NS=50) and stimulation conditions (S=50). Results: The findings are shown as the median and interquartile range (IQR) of relative gene expression levels of IFN-gamma, CD14, MMP9, CCR5, CCL11, CXCL9/MIG, and uPAR/PLAUR immune biomarkers. MMP9 levels were significantly higher in the LTBI-NS and LTBI-S groups compared with the NIC-NS and NIC-S groups. However, CCR5 levels were significantly lower in the LTBI-S group compared with both NIC-NS and NIC-S groups. CCL11 levels were significantly lower in the LTBI-S group compared with the NIC-NS group. Conclusions: Preliminary findings showed that MMP9 immune biomarkers separated LTBI indigenous individuals from NIC indigenous individuals, while CCR5, CCL11, CD14, and IFN-gamma did not differentiate TB states from NIC. MMP9 may be useful as a potential biomarker for LTBI and new infected case detection among Warao indigenous individuals at high risk of developing the disease. It may also be used to halt the epidemic, which will require further validation in larger studies.

Background. Bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a central player in multiple signaling pathways of lymphoid and myeloid cells. Myeloid cells are crucial early effectors in organ ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. BTKB66 is a selective, irreversible inhibitor of Btk. In this study, we hypothesized that Btk inhibition would reduce hepatocellular injury in a murine model of liver warm hepatic IR. Methods. First, BTKB66 was tested in in vitro models of lipopolysaccharide-mediated neutrophil and macrophage activation. Then, to assess its efficacy in vivo, BTKB66 was administered orally to mice for 7 days before subjecting them to 90 minutes of warm hepatic ischemia followed by reperfusion for 6 or 24 hours. Clinical and pathologic features in the livers, including AST, ALT, and a panel of cytokines and chemokines, were examined. Results. BTKB66 potently inhibited lipopolysaccharide-mediated activation of bone marrow-derived neutrophils and macrophages in vitro. It also reduced the severity of IR injury as determined by ASTand ALT levels, as well as immune cell infiltrates. BTKB66 significantly decreased hepatic markers of sterile inflammation, such as C-X-C motif chemokine 1, C-X-C motif chemokine 2, and C-X-C motif chemokine 10, in parallel with depression of serummarkers of themyeloid cell activation, such as CCL5, CCL11, and C-X-C motif chemokine 5. Conclusions. BTKB66 treatment ameliorated hepatocellular injury in a well-established model of liver partial warm ischemia and in situ reperfusion. These findings confirm that neutrophil recruitment and activation play an essential role in IR stress, and that targeting Btk activity may provide a useful approach for preventing hepatocellular damage and improving outcomes in liver transplantation.