Tocilizumab does not block interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling in murine cells

Abstract

Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is approved for the treatment of different human inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and cytokine release syndrome. Tocilizumab binds to the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) and thereby blocks signaling of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6. Initial studies and all authority assessment reports state that tocilizumab is effective in humans, but cannot bind to the murine or rat IL-6R and thus not block IL-6 signaling in the mouse. However, several recent studies described the use of tocilizumab in mice and reported biological effects that were attributed to IL-6 blockade. In this study, we investigate the capability of tocilizumab to block IL-6 signaling using different human and murine cell lines. Our results unequivocally confirm the original state of the art that tocilizumab blocks signaling via the human IL-6R, but does not block IL-6 signaling in murine cells.