Safety of humanized monoclonal antibodies against IL-5 in asthma: focus on reslizumab

Reslizumab, a humanized mAb against IL-5, reduces the number of eosinophils in the blood and lungs. Based on efficacy and safety data from pivotal RCTs, reslizumab had been approved for use as an add-on maintenance treatment of severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype in adults who have a history of exacerbations despite receiving their current asthma medicines. Areas covered: Current literature on reslizumab has been reviewed with a specific focus on its safety profile in the treatment of severe asthma. Expert opinion: Large pivotal and supportive trials reinforce the view that reslizumab is well tolerated, with an acceptable safety profile in patients exposed for longer than 2 years. However, no or few data concerning safety in special populations such as smokers, those with immune- and cellular senescence, patients with comorbidities and those receiving multi-drug treatments are available as yet. Furthermore, we need to fully elucidate some fundamental issues such as the risk of anaphylaxis and the long-term risk-benefit ratio of the impact of depletion of eosinophils and the potential risk of malignancies induced by a treatment with this anti-IL-5 agent

Monoclonal antibodies generated by DNA immunization recognize CD2 from a broad range of primates

© 2009 Australasian Society for Immunology Inc. All rights reserved.Using heterologous prime-boost (DNA immunization followed by immunization with transfected cells), we have generated depleting mouse anti-baboon CD2 monoclonal antibodies (mAb). These anti-CD2 mAb recognized a diverse range of primate CD2 from New World monkeys and Old World monkeys to humans and have potent immunosuppressive activity for human allo-MLR responses and anti-tetanus-toxoid recall responses. There was no upregulation of activation markers or release of cytokines when the mAb were incubated with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Using chimeric NOD-SCID IL2rγnull mice, the mAb were shown to deplete human and cynomolgus monkey T cells in vivo. These anti-CD2 mAb may therefore be important immunological tools in allo- and xenotransplantation.Jamie L. Brady, Stuart I. Mannering, Svjetlana Kireta, Patrick T. Coates, Anna I. Proietto, Peter J. Cowan, Anthony J. F. D'Apice and Andrew M. Le