ArmaGen engineers IgG-decoy receptor fusion protein

SANTA MONICA, CA, USA I July 30, 2009 I ArmaGen has engineered a novel IgG-decoy receptor fusion protein capable of receptor-mediated transport through the human blood-brain barrier (BBB). The decoy receptor is the extracellular domain of the human tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor (TNFR) type II, and the IgG is a genetically engineered monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the human insulin receptor (HIR). The HIRMAb part of the fusion protein acts as a molecular Trojan horse to ferry the TNFR decoy receptor across the BBB for neutralization of TNF-alpha action in the central nervous system. The IgG-TNFR fusion protein could have applications for the acute treatment of brain disorders, include ischemic stroke, brain trauma, and spinal cord trauma, and for the chronic treatment of brain disorders, including neurodegeneration and depression. Apart from the TNFR, other decoy receptors can be re-engineered for receptor-mediated transport across the human BBB with the molecular Trojan horse platform technology. The work is published in Molecular Pharmaceutics.