Alchemab Unveils Human Antibody ATLX-1088
Alchemab Therapeutics, an antibody discovery company identifying naturally occurring antibodies from individuals resilient to disease, announced that it unveiled data on ATLX-1088, its newly-discovered preclinical Alzheimer’s candidate.
ATLX-1088 is a potential first-in-class human antibody targeting CD33, a cell surface protein which is thought to have a key role in Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have revealed that higher expression of CD33 is linked to more advanced cognitive decline and worsening disease status – as high levels of CD33 inhibit normal function of brain-resident immune cells called microglia, which maintain neural networks and repair damage.
Following the discovery of common antibodies specific to those who are resistant to Alzheimer's disease, Alchemab identified the target as CD33. By starting with the body’s response to disease, as opposed to the target itself, Alchemab’s platform inverts the traditional ‘target-led’ drug discovery process. In effect, the immune system is used as a search function to identify the most important disease modifying targets.
An additional benefit of this approach is that the disease modifying antibody has been naturally optimized by the immune system which can lead to potential beneficial properties from a therapeutic perspective.
Source
