Basiliximab (trade name Simulect) is a
chimeric mouse-human monoclonal
antibody
An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
to the α chain (
CD25
Interleukin-2 receptor alpha chain (also called CD25) is the human protein encoded by the ''IL2RA'' gene.
The interleukin 2 (IL2) receptor alpha (IL2RA) and beta ( IL2RB) chains, together with the common gamma chain (IL2RG), constitute the high-a ...
) of the
IL-2 receptor
The interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) is a heterotrimeric protein expressed on the surface of certain immune cells, such as lymphocytes, that binds and responds to a cytokine called IL-2.
Composition
IL-2 binds to the IL-2 receptor, which ha ...
of
T cells
A T cell is a type of lymphocyte. T cells are one of the important white blood cells of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell re ...
. It is used to prevent
rejection in
organ transplant
Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ (anatomy), organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organ ...
ation, especially in
kidney
The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...
transplants.
Uses
Basiliximab is an
immunosuppressant
Immunosuppressive drugs, also known as immunosuppressive agents, immunosuppressants and antirejection medications, are drugs that inhibit or prevent activity of the immune system.
Classification
Immunosuppressive drugs can be classified in ...
agent used to prevent immediate
transplant rejection
Transplant rejection occurs when transplanted tissue is rejected by the recipient's immune system, which destroys the transplanted tissue. Transplant rejection can be lessened by determining the molecular similitude between donor and recipient ...
in people who are receiving kidney transplants, in combination with other agents.
[MedlinePlus. Last Revised - June 15, 201]
Basiliximab Injection
/ref> It has been reported that some cases of lichen planus
Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic inflammatory and immune-mediated disease that affects the skin, nails, hair, and mucous membranes. It is not an actual lichen, and is only named that because it looks like one. It is characterized by polygonal, fla ...
have been successfully treated with basiliximab as an alternative therapy to cyclosporin
Ciclosporin, also spelled cyclosporine and cyclosporin, is a calcineurin inhibitor, used as an immunosuppressant medication. It is a natural product. It is taken orally or intravenously for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disea ...
. No short-term side effects have been reported.
Mechanism of action
Basiliximab competes with IL-2 to bind to the alpha chain subunit of the IL2 receptor on the surface of the activated T lymphocytes and thus prevents the receptor from signaling. This prevents T cells from replicating and also from activating B cells, which are responsible for the production of antibodies, which would bind to the transplanted organ and stimulate an immune response against the transplant.[Basiliximab label]
/ref>
Chemistry
It is a chimeric CD25 monoclonal antibody of the IgG1 isotype.[
]
History
It is a Novartis
Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...
product and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
(FDA) in 1998.
See also
* Daclizumab
Daclizumab (trade name Zinbryta) is a therapeutic humanized monoclonal antibody which was used for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Daclizumab works by binding to CD25, the alpha subunit of the IL-2 receptor ...
References and notes
{{Interleukin receptor modulators
Immunosuppressants
Novartis brands