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Anti‐interleukin‐6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases
Author(s) -
Tanaka Toshio,
Narazaki Masashi,
Kishimoto Tadamitsu
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2011.03.023
Subject(s) - tocilizumab , medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , immunology , interleukin 6 receptor , interleukin 6 , cytokine , arthritis , autoimmune disease , antibody , biological drugs , interleukin
Interleukin (IL)‐6 is a cytokine with multiple biological activities. It contributes to host defense against pathogens, whereas accelerated production of IL‐6 plays a significant pathological role in various diseases. Clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of tocilizumab, a humanized anti‐IL‐6 receptor antibody, for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Castleman's disease or juvenile idiopathic arthritis, leading to approval of this innovative drug for the treatment of these diseases. Since IL‐6 has been demonstrated to play a significant role in the development of various other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, tocilizumab can be expected to become a novel drug for such diseases as well.