What are the specific functions and efficacy of infliximab?

Infliximab (Infliximab) is a recombinant human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). As one of the early biological agents, it is a milestone in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. TNF-α is an important inflammatory mediator in the body and plays a key role in the pathological processes of various chronic inflammatory diseases. By specifically binding to TNF-α, infliximab can effectively block its binding to the receptor, thereby inhibiting the inflammatory cascade and controlling the over-activation of the immune system from the root.

The drug is currently widely used clinically to treat a variety of diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, it can significantly reduce intestinal inflammation, relieve symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bleeding, and promote intestinal mucosal healing. It is currently one of the important therapeutic drugs for moderate to severe inflammatory bowel disease.

In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, infliximab can effectively reduce joint pain and swelling, prevent joint structural damage, and delay disease progression. In psoriasis and its arthritis variants, it improves skin damage and joint lesions and improves patients' quality of life by controlling abnormal proliferation of epidermal cells and infiltration of inflammatory cells.

In addition, infliximab is also very effective in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis. It can improve the stiffness and pain of the spine and peripheral joints, and improve the patient's mobility. Due to its broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory abilities, it has become one of the standard treatment options for several autoimmune diseases.

In short, the core function of infliximab is to precisely inhibit the inflammatory response mediated by TNF-α, and it has demonstrated long-lasting and broad efficacy in multiple systemic inflammatory diseases. It is one of the important achievements in the field of modern immunology.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/infliximab.html