Feasibility study to determine whether a new generation of catalytic antibodies can be made that overcome existing limitations and are suitable for use in a range of clinical settings

抗体是我们体内自然产生的，已经被生物制药行业成功地利用，为未满足的患者需求提供了一系列安全有效的全新治疗方法。抗肿瘤坏死因子抗体就是一个很好的例子，它现在被普遍用于类风湿关节炎患者。大多数治疗性抗体通过与在疾病过程中起作用的蛋白质结合来起作用，从而抑制其造成伤害的能力。这一成功意味着已经建立了一系列相关技术和专业知识，以支持治疗性抗体的研发。一段时间以来，人们一直推测，如果抗体可以作为催化剂（“抗体酶”），那么它们可能会成为更有效的药物。这项早期可行性研究将看到UCB和曼彻斯特生物技术研究所的科学家合作，以测试最新的尖端科学现在是否能够使酶最终实现其临床承诺所需的突破。

Antibodies, produced naturally in our bodies, have been successfully harnessed by the Biopharmaindustry to provide a whole new range of safe and effective treatments for unmet patient need. A goodexample is the anti-TNF antibodies, which are now in common use for suffers of rheumatoid arthritis.Most therapeutic antibodies work by binding to a protein responsible for playing a role in the course ofa disease, thereby stifling its ability to cause harm. This success means that a whole range of attendenttechnologies and know-how has been built-up to support therapeutic antibody R&D. For some timethere has been speculation that if antibodies could be made to work as catalysts ("abzymes") then theycould become even more efficient drugs. This Early Stage Feasibility Study will see scientists at UCB andManchester Institute of Biotechnology collaborate in order to test whether the latest cutting-edgescience is now able to make the breakthrough required for abzymes to at last fulfil their clinical promise.