Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39152100›Full record

ArticleNature communications2024

De novo design of miniprotein antagonists of cytokine storm inducers.

Buwei Huang, Brian Coventry, Marta T Borowska, Dimitrios C Arhontoulis, Marc Exposit, Mohamad Abedi, Kevin M Jude, Samer F Halabiya, Aza Allen, Cami Cordray and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Materials today. Bio · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Progress in Designing Cytokine Antagonist Antibodies for Cancer Therapy.BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Protein engineering: status report.Protein engineering, design & selection : PEDS · 2026
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. AI-assisted design of ligands for lipocalin-2.Frontiers in immunology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Buwei Huang *Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Brian Coventry *Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6910-6255
Marta T Borowska *Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Dimitrios C Arhontoulis *Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Marc Exposit *Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Mohamad AbediDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Kevin M JudeDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3675-5136
Samer F HalabiyaInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Aza AllenInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Cami CordrayInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Inna GoreshnikDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Maggie AhlrichsInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4793-3890
Sidney ChanInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1617-0464
Hillary TunggalDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Michelle DeWittInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Nathaniel HyamsDepartment of Bioengineering, Clemson University, Charleston, SC, USA.
Lauren CarterInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Lance StewartInstitute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4264-5125
Deborah H FullerDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7315-2441
Ying MeiMolecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology Program, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8508-4076
K Christopher GarciaDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9273-0278
David BakerDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. dabaker@uw.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-7896-6217

Funding

A Synchrotron Radiation Structural Biology ResourcesP30GM133894 · NIGMS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Thomas Michael Weiss · 2020 to 2026
$43.3M
TARGETING ROR1 WITH CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR MODIFIED T CELLSR01CA114536 · NCI · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER RESEARCH CENTER · PI Sylvain Simon · 2005 to 2026
$8.4M
Structure-based engineering of immune cytokine signalingR01AI051321 · NIAID · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Kenan Christopher GARCIA · 2002 to 2026
$5.6M
Designed Vehicles for Blood Brain Barrier TraversalR01AG063845 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI BAKER, DAVID · 2019 to 2023
$2.5M
Design of de novo interleukin mimics for targeted immunotherapyR01CA240339 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI BAKER, DAVID · 2019 to 2023
$2.1M
Nanowired human cardiac spheroids for heart repairR01HL133308 · NHLBI · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · PI MEI, YING · 2017 to 2020
$1.5M
Nanowired humam cardiac organoid derived exosomes for heart repairR01HL168255 · NHLBI · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · PI Ying Mei · 2023 to 2026
$1.5M
Nanowired human isogenic cardiac organoids to treat acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injuriesU01HL169361 · NHLBI · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · PI MEI, YING · 2023 to 2024
$746k
Human organoid model for COVID-19 myocarditisR21HL167211 · NHLBI · CLEMSON UNIVERSITY · PI MEI, YING · 2023 to 2024
$411k
The Use of Human Cardiac Organoids to Model COVID-19 Cytokine Storm Induced Cardiac InjuryF30HL160055 · NHLBI · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI ARHONTOULIS, DIMITRIOS CHRISOVALANTOU · 2022 to 2024
$151k
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) C19 HHMI INITIATIVENCI NIH HHS R01 CA114536NCI NIH HHS R01 CA240339NHLBI NIH HHS F30 HL160055NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL133308NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL168255NHLBI NIH HHS R21 HL167211NHLBI NIH HHS U01 HL169361NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI051321NIA NIH HHS R01 AG063845NIGMS NIH HHS P30 GM133894United States Department of Defense | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) HR0011-21-2-0012United States Department of Defense | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) HR0011835403 contract FA8750-17-C-0219United States Department of Defense | Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) HDTRA1-21-1-0038
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), commonly known as cytokine storm, is an acute systemic inflammatory response that is a significant global health threat. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) are key pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in CRS and are hence critical therapeutic targets. Current antagonists, such as tocilizumab and anakinra, target IL-6R/IL-1R but have limitations due to their long half-life and systemic anti-inflammatory effects, making them less suitable for acute or localized treatments. Here we present the de novo design of small protein antagonists that prevent IL-1 and IL-6 from interacting with their receptors to activate signaling. The designed proteins bind to the IL-6R, GP130 (an IL-6 co-receptor), and IL-1R1 receptor subunits with binding affinities in the picomolar to low-nanomolar range. X-ray crystallography studies reveal that the structures of these antagonists closely match their computational design models. In a human cardiac organoid disease model, the IL-1R antagonists demonstrated protective effects against inflammation and cardiac damage induced by IL-1β. These minibinders show promise for administration via subcutaneous injection or intranasal/inhaled routes to mitigate acute cytokine storm effects.

Indexed as

Cytokine Release SyndromeInterleukin-6Interleukin-6 InhibitorsCrystallography, X-RayCytokine Receptor gp130Drug DesignHumansInterleukin-1Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist ProteinProtein BindingReceptors, Interleukin-1 Type IReceptors, Interleukin-6Signal TransductionCytokine Receptor gp130Interleukin-1Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist ProteinInterleukin-6Interleukin-6 InhibitorsReceptors, Interleukin-1 Type IReceptors, Interleukin-6

Identifiers

PMID39152100
PMCPMC11329760

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.