CXCR2 antibodies are monoclonal antibodies engineered to bind the extracellular N-terminal domain of CXCR2, competing with its natural ligands (e.g., CXCL8/IL-8, CXCL1/GROα) . By blocking receptor activation, these antibodies inhibit downstream signaling pathways, including calcium mobilization and MAPK/PI3K cascades, thereby halting neutrophil chemotaxis and inflammation .
Binding Affinity: Picomolar (pM) affinity, surpassing natural ligands (e.g., IL-8 binds at nanomolar concentrations) .
Selectivity: Targets CXCR2 exclusively, avoiding cross-reactivity with CXCR1 or other chemokine receptors .
CXCR2 antibodies have shown efficacy in preclinical models of neutrophil-driven diseases:
The antibody development process leverages combinatorial libraries and epitope-guided selection:
Lead Candidate: The optimized antibody (e.g., abN48-2-IgG1) binds CXCR2 with 100-fold higher affinity than earlier variants due to arginine substitutions in complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) .
Humanization: TAHX2 and HAHX2 variants were developed for human and murine models, respectively, ensuring cross-species compatibility .
In murine models, CXCR2 antibodies neutralize IL-8-induced chemotaxis (in vitro) and reduce neutrophil counts in inflamed tissues (in vivo) .
Anti-CXCR2 therapy outperforms anti-TNF agents by targeting the receptor directly, potentially minimizing off-target effects .
Small-molecule inhibitors failed clinically due to poor binding and off-target activity, underscoring the need for antibody-based approaches .
Clinical trials are pending to validate human efficacy and safety.