Toll-Like Receptors
Toll-Like Receptors - or TLRs - are a relatively new scientific discovery, though their origins date back hundreds of millions of years. TLRs evolved as a way to protect organisms against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. This defense mechanism has proven so effective that it is an integral part of the human immune system today and a promising target for innovative new medicines.
In 1997, the first human TLR was cloned. Now scientists have discovered 10 TLRs in humans, each recognizing generic molecular patterns associated with a variety of invading pathogens.
Viral Infections
Certain TLRs, for example, are responsible for fighting bacterial and fungal infections; others respond specifically to viral infections.
Unlike adaptive immunity, which enables the immune system to remember and fight specific infections that it has encountered before, innate immunity is the ability to recognize foreign invaders upon their very first meeting. This function is regulated by TLRs, a family of proteins that serve as the body's first line of defense.
Once a TLR recognizes a particular pathogen, it launches a dual assault. First, it triggers the body's innate immunity, initiating an inflammatory response to fight the invader that includes induction of interferon, a natural disease fighter that is the basis for many approved products. It then alerts and educates the body's adaptive immune system so that it will recognize the pathogen in the future. If TLRs fail, the body is left vulnerable to infection.
We are currently developing ANA773, a novel Toll-Like Receptor-7 (TLR-7) agonist oral prodrug, for the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C.
Cancer
The pharmacological elements associated with the innate immune system's response to infection also offer significant potential for treating a variety of diseases. For example, interferon itself is approved to treat certain cancers, and immune cells that are activated by engagement of the TLR-7 receptor may facilitate recognition of cancer cells as foreign. Agonists of TLR-7 have significant potential for treating a variety of diseases. We believe ANA773 may be effective against certain types of cancer, and are also developing ANA773 for the treatment of cancer.
Last Updated 1/12/2009
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Toll-Like Receptors