Conatumumab is a monoclonal antibody developed for the treatment of cancer. it is a fully human monoclonal agonist antibody directed against the extracellular domain of human TRAIL

TRAIL

In the field of cell biology, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand , is a protein functioning as a ligand that induces the process of cell death called apoptosis. TRAIL has also been designated CD253 .- Gene :...

 (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) receptor 2 (TR

Tumor necrosis factor receptor

A tumor necrosis factor receptor , or death receptor, is a trimeric cytokine receptor that binds tumor necrosis factors . The receptor cooperates with an adaptor protein , which is important in determining the outcome of the response A tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR), or death receptor, is a...

-2, death receptor 5) with potential antineoplastic activity. Conatumumab mimics the activity of native TRAIL, binding to and activating TR-2, thereby activating caspase

Caspase

Caspases, or cysteine-aspartic proteases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases are a family of cysteine proteases that play essential roles in apoptosis , necrosis, and inflammation....

 cascades and inducing tumor cell apoptosis

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...

. TR-2 is expressed by a variety of solid tumors and cancers of hematopoietic origin.

The drug was developed by Amgen Inc.