Alternative p38 MAPKs Are Essential for Collagen-Induced Arthritis

Arthritis and Rheumatology Vol66, No. 5, May2014 pp 1208-1217

MAPK family proteins are regulatory proteins, affecting processes such as synthesis and release of proinflammatory molecules which contribute to the pathogenesis of RA. In particular, the p38 MAPK protein family is central to proinflammatory cytokine production. There are four member of the p38 group; p38α, p38β, p38γ and p38δ. This study sought to evaluate p38γ and p38δ deficiency in mice CIA model. In p38γ-/- or p38δ-/- mice, the percentage of mic...

March 2014

As it is nonvascularized and noninnervated, articular cartilage has a limited capacity to repair which presents a major clinical problem. In order to circumvent this inability to repair, stem cells can be placed into the joint or stimulated within the bone marrow. However, as the cartilage requiring repair is often in diseased joints, the factors involved in the disease state are potentially non-beneficial to the chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells. In this study van Beuningen et al. invest...

January 2014

Ibrutinib is a first-in-class, orally available Btk (Bruton’s tyrosine kinase) inhibitor which has been shown to be effective in the treatment against certain types of leukemia and autoimmune disorders. Btk regulates the expression of genes involved in the differentiation and function of osteoclasts, and therefore inhibiting Btk suppresses osteoclastic bone resorption. Results from in vitro testing showed the suppressive effects on osteoclasts and murine models of RA showed ibrutinib treatment p...

June 2013

This study investigated the capacity of the novel oral spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor R406, and its prodrug R788 (fostamatinib), to suppress the reversed passive Arthrus reaction (RPA) and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats. R406 (0.1, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) and R788 (10 and 30 mg/kg) reduced the cutaneous RPA reaction and inflammatory oedema in a dose-dependent manner, with statistically significant reductions in extravascular leakage and tissue swelling (72% reduction with R406 10 mg...