The TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily) superfamily consists of 19 protein cytokines with over 30 different ligands and receptors, which are vital for human health. Understanding the TNF Superfamily and its signaling pathways is essential for developing therapies to treat diseases including autoimmune disorders, cancer, and inflammatory conditions.
TNF is named after the first discovered member, TNF-α, which was initially identified for its ability to induce tumor cell death. The importance of TNF-α is underscored by the fact that it is targeted by adalimumab, which is the world’s top medication based on revenue and is included in the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.
TNF superfamily ligands are proteins that bind to TNF superfamily receptors and initiate downstream cytokine signaling. Our research to understand the allosteric mechanism of TNF-α has allowed Psivant to develop an approach that can be scaled across the TNF superfamily. We believe our motion-based drug discovery paradigm will establish a precedent for designing novel small molecule drugs against challenging disease targets.