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Interleukin-18 Binding Protein (IL-18BP): A Long Journey From Discovery to Clinical Application

  • Soohyun Kim (College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University) ;
  • Hyeon Yu (Laboratory of Cytokine Immunology, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Tania Azam (Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz) ;
  • Charles A. Dinarello (Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz)
  • Received : 2023.10.30
  • Accepted : 2023.12.17
  • Published : 2024.02.29
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Abstract

IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) was originally discovered in 1999 while attempting to identify an IL-18 receptor ligand binding chain (also known as IL-18Rα) by subjecting concentrated human urine to an IL-18 ligand affinity column. The IL-18 ligand chromatography purified molecule was analyzed by protein microsequencing. The result revealed a novel 40 amino acid polypeptide. To isolate the complete open reading frame (ORF), various human and mouse cDNA libraries were screened using cDNA probe derived from the novel IL-18 affinity column bound molecule. The identified entire ORF gene was thought to be an IL-18Rα gene. However, IL-18BP has been proven to be a unique soluble antagonist that shares homology with a variety of viral proteins that are distinct from the IL-18Rα and IL-18Rβ chains. The IL-18BP cDNA was used to generate recombinant IL-18BP (rIL-18BP), which was indispensable for characterizing the role of IL-18BP in vitro and in vivo. Mammalian cell lines were used to produce rIL-18BP due to its glycosylation-dependent activity of IL-18BP (approximately 20 kDa). Various forms of rIL-18BP, intact, C-terminal his-tag, and Fc fusion proteins were produced for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Data showed potent neutralization of IL-18 activity, which seems promising for clinical application in immune diseases involving IL-18. However, it was a long journey from discovery to clinical use although there have been various clinical trials since IL-18BP was discovered in 1999. This review primarily covers the discovery of IL-18BP along with how basic research influences the clinical development of IL-18BP.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2021R1F1A1057397). This research was supported by the Main Research Program (E0210602-02) of the Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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