Novel Patents Targeting Interleukin-17A; Implications in Cancer and Inflammation

Background: IL-17A is a founding member of the IL-17 family that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory-associated diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disease. In cancer, IL-17A participates in many key events for tumor development, in part by affecting innate and adaptive immune system and also by direct modulation of many pro-tumor events. Moreover, IL-17A dysregulation at the site of inflammation is associated with rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, among others. IL-17A has emerged as a topic of interest and is under profound investigation for its involvement in several types of inflammatory-associated diseases. Objective: This review aims to present an overview of the state of the art of IL-17A role in cancer and inflammation, as well as to describe recent patents targeting IL-17A with relevant clinical and biological properties for the prevention and treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Methods: Relevant information was obtained by searching in PubMed using IL-17A or IL-17, cancer and inflammation as keywords, while relevant patents were obtained mainly from Google Patents. Results: Literature data indicated IL-17A as important biomolecule in the physiopathology of cancer and inflammatory diseases. Whereas, novel patents (2010 to 2017) targeting IL-17A are focused mainly on describing strategies to modulate IL-17A per se, co-modulation by bispecific antibodies to blocking IL-17A and important cytokines for IL-17A functions, upstream mechanisms and compounds to regulate IL-17A expression. Conclusion: The promising effects of patented agents against IL-17A may open new opportunities to therapeutic intervention targeting at different levels of involvement in the pathogenesis of cancer and inflammatory diseases.