Type I Interferon Inhibitors for Monocytopoiesis Modulation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods fail to effectively modulate monocytopoiesis, leading to excessive inflammatory cell accumulation in diseases like atherosclerosis and sepsis, where type I interferons play a dual role in both resolving infections and causing septic shock, making their exact role in sepsis unclear.

Innovation Solution

Administering a therapeutically effective amount of an inhibitor of type I interferons to reduce monocytopoiesis, particularly suitable for treating monocyte-dependent inflammatory disorders and sepsis, by promoting the differentiation of monocyte-derived phagocytes and reducing inflammatory cell accumulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If type I interferons are administered to resolve infections, then infection resolution is improved, but septic shock and inflammatory cell accumulation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinfection resolutionVSAvoidseptic shock and inflammatory cell accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a selective inhibitor of type I interferon signaling as an intermediary substance that blocks the harmful effects of type I interferons on monocytopoiesis while allowing the administration of type I interferons for infection resolution. This intermediary selectively interferes with the signaling pathway to prevent septic shock and inflammatory cell accumulation without completely abolishing the anti-infective effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and selectively inhibits the harmful signaling pathway of type I interferons that leads to excessive monocytopoiesis and septic shock, while preserving the beneficial anti-infective effects. By taking out the specific harmful signaling component through selective inhibition, the therapy can resolve infections without causing septic shock.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If monocytopoiesis is allowed to proceed normally, then infection control is improved, but inflammatory cell accumulation and disease aggravation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinfection controlVSAvoidinflammatory cell accumulation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a feedback mechanism by administering selective type I interferon signaling inhibitors that respond to the presence of excessive inflammatory cells or signs of septic shock. The inhibitor modulates monocytopoiesis in real-time, reducing inflammatory cell accumulation when it becomes excessive while allowing normal monocytopoiesis to proceed for infection control under normal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Object-affected harmful factors

If type I interferon signaling is completely inhibited, then septic shock is prevented, but infection resolution capability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseptic shock preventionVSAvoidinfection resolution
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of type I interferon signaling from complete activation to selective modulation. By using selective inhibitors that target specific downstream components of the type I interferon pathway rather than blocking the receptor completely, the therapy maintains sufficient signaling for infection resolution while preventing the harmful threshold that leads to septic shock and excessive monocytopoiesis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11926664B2Methods and pharmaceutical compositions for modulating monocytopoiesis
Publication Date: 2024.03.12 INST NAT DE LA SANTE & DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE (INSERM)

AI summary

Monocytopoiesis is a hematological process that supplies the periphery with monocytes and subsequently with macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Typically, monocytes circulate in the bloodstream for a very short time before undergoing apoptosis, however, stimulatory signals can trigger monocyte survival by inhibiting the apoptotic pathway, and thus contribute to the maintenance of the inflammatory response. Accordingly, there is a need for methods and pharmaceutical compositions for modulating monocytopoiesis. Now, the inventors show that type I interferons signaling promote the differentiation of monocyte-derived phagocytes at the level of their progenitors. Importantly, IFN-alpha and -beta were found to efficiently generate the development of monocyte-derived antigen-presenting cells while having no impact on the precursor activity of conventional dendritic cells. Accordingly, modulators of type I interferon (e.g. neutralizing antibodies or type I IFN polypeptides) would be suitable for modulating monocytopoiesis in subjects in need thereof.