NCIt definition : A synthetic sugar modified heparan sulfate mimetic and agonist of toll-like receptor
9 (TLR9), with potential immunostimulating, antineoplastic and anti-viral activities.
Upon administration, pixatimod binds to and activates TLR9 expressed by dendritic
cells (DCs) and B-cells. This initiates cytokine release from DCs and activates innate
immune signaling pathways, and leads to the activation of natural killer (NK) cells
to destroy tumor cells. The combination of pixatimod with certain checkpoint inhibitors
may enhance the activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to further kill tumor cells.
In addition, pixatimod inhibits the cleavage of heparan sulfate from cell surface
proteoglycan by heparanase (HPSE) and inhibits the infiltration of tumor-associated
macrophages (TAMs). TLR9, a member of the TLR family, plays a fundamental role in
pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity.;
Automatic exact mappings (from CISMeF team)