Immunoglobulin G-dependent inhibition of inflammatory bone remodeling requires pattern recognition receptor Dectin-1.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are major drivers of inflammation during infectious and autoimmune diseases. In pooled serum IgG (IVIg), however, antibodies have a potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity, but how this is mediated is unclear. We studied IgG-dependent initiation of resolution of inflammation in cytokine- and autoantibody-driven models of rheumatoid arthritis and found IVIg sialylation inhibited joint inflammation, whereas inhibition of osteoclastogenesis was sialic acid independent. Instead, IVIg-dependent inhibition of osteoclastogenesis was abrogated in mice lacking receptors Dectin-1 or FcγRIIb. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and super-resolution microscopy revealed that Dectin-1 promoted FcγRIIb membrane conformations that allowed productive IgG binding and enhanced interactions with mouse and human IgG subclasses. IVIg reprogrammed monocytes via FcγRIIb-dependent signaling that required Dectin-1. Our data identify a pathogen-independent function of Dectin-1 as a co-inhibitory checkpoint for IgG-dependent inhibition of mouse and human osteoclastogenesis. These findings may have implications for therapeutic targeting of autoantibody and cytokine-driven inflammation.

The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Significant recent progress in understanding rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis has led to improved treatment and quality of life. The introduction of targeted-biologic and -synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has also transformed clinical outcomes. Despite this, RA remains a life-long disease without a cure. Unmet needs include partial response and non-response to treatment in many patients, failure to achieve immune homeostasis or drug free remission, and inability to repair damaged tissues. RA is now recognized as the end of a multi-year prodromal phase in which systemic immune dysregulation, likely beginning in mucosal surfaces, is followed by a symptomatic clinical phase. Inflammation and immune reactivity are primarily localized to the synovium leading to pain and articular damage, but is also associated with a broader series of comorbidities. Here, we review recently described immunologic mechanisms that drive breach of tolerance, chronic synovitis, and remission.

Targeting Interleukin-6 Signaling in Clinic.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with roles in immunity, tissue regeneration, and metabolism. Rapid production of IL-6 contributes to host defense during infection and tissue injury, but excessive synthesis of IL-6 and dysregulation of IL-6 receptor signaling is involved in disease pathology. Therapeutic agents targeting the IL-6 axis are effective in rheumatoid arthritis, and applications are being extended to other settings of acute and chronic inflammation. Recent studies reveal that selective blockade of different modes of IL-6 receptor signaling has different outcomes on disease pathology, suggesting novel strategies for therapeutic intervention. However, some inflammatory diseases do not seem to respond to IL-6 blockade. Here, we review the current state of IL-6-targeting approaches in the clinic and discuss how to apply the growing understanding of the immunobiology of IL-6 to clinical decisions.

Response to anti-IL17 therapy in inflammatory disease is not strongly impacted by genetic background.

Response to the anti-IL17 monoclonal antibody secukinumab is heterogeneous, and not all participants respond to treatment. Understanding whether this heterogeneity is driven by genetic variation is a key aim of pharmacogenetics and could influence precision medicine approaches in inflammatory diseases. Using changes in disease activity scores across 5,218 genotyped individuals from 19 clinical trials across four indications (psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis), we tested whether genetics predicted response to secukinumab. We did not find any evidence of association between treatment response and common variants, imputed HLA alleles, polygenic risk scores of disease susceptibility, or cross-disease components of shared genetic risk. This suggests that anti-IL17 therapy is equally effective regardless of an individual's genetic background, a finding that has important implications for future genetic studies of biological therapy response in inflammatory diseases.

A Phase 2 Trial of Peresolimab for Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Peresolimab is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody designed to stimulate the endogenous programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitory pathway. Stimulation of this pathway would be a novel approach to the treatment of patients with autoimmune or autoinflammatory diseases. METHODS: In this phase 2a, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we assigned, in a 2:1:1 ratio, adult patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis who had had an inadequate response to, a loss of response to, or unacceptable side effects with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or to biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs to receive 700 mg of peresolimab, 300 mg of peresolimab, or placebo intravenously once every 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to week 12 in the Disease Activity Score for 28 joints based on the C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP). The DAS28-CRP ranges from 0 to 9.4, with higher scores indicating more severe disease. The primary comparison was between the 700-mg group and the placebo group. Secondary outcomes included the percentages of patients with American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20), ACR50, and ACR70 responses - defined as improvements from baseline of 20%, 50%, and 70% or more, respectively, in the numbers of tender and swollen joints and in at least three of five important domains - at week 12. RESULTS: At week 12, the change from baseline in the DAS28-CRP was significantly greater in the 700-mg peresolimab group than in the placebo group (least-squares mean change [±SE], -2.09±0.18 vs. -0.99±0.26; difference in change, -1.09 [95% confidence interval, -1.73 to -0.46]; P<0.001). The results of the analyses of secondary outcomes favored the 700-mg dose over placebo with respect to the ACR20 response but not with respect to the ACR50 and ACR70 responses. Adverse events were similar in the peresolimab and placebo groups. CONCLUSIONS: Peresolimab showed efficacy in a phase 2a trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These results provide evidence that stimulation of the PD-1 receptor has potential efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. (Funded by Eli Lilly; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04634253.).

Antibody discovery identifies regulatory mechanisms of protein arginine deiminase 4.

Unlocking the potential of protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) as a drug target for rheumatoid arthritis requires a deeper understanding of its regulation. In this study, we use unbiased antibody selections to identify functional antibodies capable of either activating or inhibiting PAD4 activity. Through cryogenic-electron microscopy, we characterized the structures of these antibodies in complex with PAD4 and revealed insights into their mechanisms of action. Rather than steric occlusion of the substrate-binding catalytic pocket, the antibodies modulate PAD4 activity through interactions with allosteric binding sites adjacent to the catalytic pocket. These binding events lead to either alteration of the active site conformation or the enzyme oligomeric state, resulting in modulation of PAD4 activity. Our study uses antibody engineering to reveal new mechanisms for enzyme regulation and highlights the potential of using PAD4 agonist and antagonist antibodies for studying PAD4-dependency in disease models and future therapeutic development.

Bioinspired nanogels as cell-free DNA trapping and scavenging organelles for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Excessive cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the serum and synovium is considered a causative factor of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus, cfDNA scavenging by using cationic polymers has been an effective therapeutic avenue, while these stratagems still suffer from systemic toxicity and unstable capture of cfDNA. Here, inspired by the biological charge-trapping effects and active degradation function of enzyme-containing organelles in vivo, we proposed a cationic peptide dendrimer nanogel with deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) conjugation for the treatment of RA. Benefitting from their naturally derived peptide components, the resultant nanogels were highly biocompatible. More attractively, by tailoring them with a larger size and higher surface charge density, these cationic nanogels could achieve the fastest targeting capability, highest accumulation amounts, longer persistence time, and superior DNA scavenging capacity in inflamed joints. Based on these features, we have demonstrated that the organelle mimicking cationic nanogels could significantly down-regulate toll-like receptor (TLR)-9 signaling pathways and attenuate RA symptoms in collagen-induced arthritis mice. These results make the bioinspired DNase I conjugated cationic nanogels an ideal candidate for treating RA and other immune dysregulation diseases.

A bioengineered probiotic for the oral delivery of a peptide Kv1.3 channel blocker to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Engineered microbes for the delivery of biologics are a promising avenue for the treatment of various conditions such as chronic inflammatory disorders and metabolic disease. In this study, we developed a genetically engineered probiotic delivery system that delivers a peptide to the intestinal tract with high efficacy. We constructed an inducible system in the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri to secrete the Kv1.3 potassium blocker ShK-235 (LrS235). We show that LrS235 culture supernatants block Kv1.3 currents and preferentially inhibit human T effector memory (TEM) lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. A single oral gavage of healthy rats with LrS235 resulted in sufficient functional ShK-235 in the circulation to reduce inflammation in a delayed-type hypersensitivity model of atopic dermatitis mediated by TEM cells. Furthermore, the daily oral gavage of LrS235 dramatically reduced clinical signs of disease and joint inflammation in rats with a model of rheumatoid arthritis without eliciting immunogenicity against ShK-235. This work demonstrates the efficacy of using the probiotic L. reuteri as a novel oral delivery platform for the peptide ShK-235 and provides an efficacious strategy to deliver other biologics with great translational potential.

Abatacept in individuals at high risk of rheumatoid arthritis (APIPPRA): a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, parallel, placebo-controlled, phase 2b clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with serum antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA), rheumatoid factor, and symptoms, such as inflammatory joint pain, are at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. In the arthritis prevention in the pre-clinical phase of rheumatoid arthritis with abatacept (APIPPRA) trial, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability of treating high risk individuals with the T-cell co-stimulation modulator abatacept. METHODS: The APIPPRA study was a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, parallel, placebo-controlled, phase 2b clinical trial done in 28 hospital-based early arthritis clinics in the UK and three in the Netherlands. Participants (aged ≥18 years) at risk of rheumatoid arthritis positive for ACPA and rheumatoid factor with inflammatory joint pain were recruited. Exclusion criteria included previous episodes of clinical synovitis and previous use of corticosteroids or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) using a computer-generated permuted block randomisation (block sizes of 2 and 4) stratified by sex, smoking, and country, to 125 mg abatacept subcutaneous injections weekly or placebo for 12 months, and then followed up for 12 months. Masking was achieved by providing four kits (identical in appearance and packaging) with pre-filled syringes with coded labels of abatacept or placebo every 3 months. The primary endpoint was the time to development of clinical synovitis in three or more joints or rheumatoid arthritis according to American College of Rheumatology and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology 2010 criteria, whichever was met first. Synovitis was confirmed by ultrasonography. Follow-up was completed on Jan 13, 2021. All participants meeting the intention-to-treat principle were included in the analysis. This trial was registered with EudraCT (2013-003413-18). FINDINGS: Between Dec 22, 2014, and Jan 14, 2019, 280 individuals were evaluated for eligibility and, of 213 participants, 110 were randomly assigned to abatacept and 103 to placebo. During the treatment period, seven (6%) of 110 participants in the abatacept group and 30 (29%) of 103 participants in the placebo group met the primary endpoint. At 24 months, 27 (25%) of 110 participants in the abatacept group had progressed to rheumatoid arthritis, compared with 38 (37%) of 103 in the placebo group. The estimated proportion of participants remaining arthritis-free at 12 months was 92·8% (SE 2·6) in the abatacept group and 69·2% (4·7) in the placebo group. Kaplan-Meier arthritis-free survival plots over 24 months favoured abatacept (log-rank test p=0·044). The difference in restricted mean survival time between groups was 53 days (95% CI 28-78; p<0·0001) at 12 months and 99 days (95% CI 38-161; p=0·0016) at 24 months in favour of abatacept. During treatment, abatacept was associated with improvements in pain scores, functional wellbeing, and quality-of-life measurements, as well as low scores of subclinical synovitis by ultrasonography, compared with placebo. However, the effects were not sustained at 24 months. Seven serious adverse events occurred in the abatacept group and 11 in the placebo group, including one death in each group deemed unrelated to treatment. INTERPRETATION: Therapeutic intervention during the at-risk phase of rheumatoid arthritis is feasible, with acceptable safety profiles. T-cell co-stimulation modulation with abatacept for 12 months reduces progression to rheumatoid arthritis, with evidence of sustained efficacy beyond the treatment period, and with no new safety signals. FUNDING: Bristol Myers Squibb.

Abatacept inhibits inflammation and onset of rheumatoid arthritis in individuals at high risk (ARIAA): a randomised, international, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) and subclinical inflammatory changes in joints are at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment strategies to intercept this pre-stage clinical disease remain to be developed. We aimed to assess whether 6-month treatment with abatacept improves inflammation in preclinical rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: The abatacept reversing subclinical inflammation as measured by MRI in ACPA positive arthralgia (ARIAA) study is a randomised, international, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 14 hospitals and community centres across Europe (11 in Germany, two in Spain, and one in the Czech Republic). Adults (aged ≥18 years) with ACPA positivity, joint pain (but no swelling), and signs of osteitis, synovitis, or tenosynovitis in hand MRI were randomly assigned (1:1) to weekly subcutaneous abatacept 125 mg or placebo for 6 months followed by a double-blind, drug-free, observation phase for 12 months. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants with any reduction in inflammatory MRI lesions at 6 months. The primary efficacy analysis was done in the modified intention-to-treat population, which included participants who were randomly assigned and received study medication. Safety analyses were conducted in participants who received the study medication and had at least one post-baseline observation. The study was registered with the EUDRA-CT (2014-000555-93). FINDINGS: Between Nov 6, 2014, and June 15, 2021, 139 participants were screened. Of 100 participants, 50 were randomly assigned to abatacept 125 mg and 50 to placebo. Two participants (one from each group) were excluded due to administration failure or refusing treatment; thus, 98 were included in the modified intention-to-treat population. 70 (71%) of 98 participants were female and 28 (29%) of 98 were male. At 6 months, 28 (57%) of 49 participants in the abatacept group and 15 (31%) of 49 participants in the placebo group showed improvement in MRI subclinical inflammation (absolute difference 26·5%, 95% CI 5·9-45·6; p=0·014). Four (8%) of 49 participants in the abatacept group and 17 (35%) of 49 participants in the placebo group developed rheumatoid arthritis (hazard ratio [HR] 0·14 [0·04-0·47]; p=0·0016). Improvement of MRI inflammation (25 [51%] of 49 participants in the abatacept group, 12 [24%] of 49 in the placebo group; p=0·012) and progression to rheumatoid arthritis (17 [35%] of 49, 28 [57%] of 49; HR 0·14 [0·04-0·47]; p=0·018) remained significantly different between the two groups after 18 months, 12 months after the end of the intervention. There were 12 serious adverse events in 11 participants (four [8%] of 48 in the abatacept group and 7 [14%] of 49 in the placebo group). No deaths occurred during the study. INTERPRETATION: 6-month treatment with abatacept decreases MRI inflammation, clinical symptoms, and risk of rheumatoid arthritis development in participants at high risk. The effects of the intervention persist through a 1-year drug-free observation phase. FUNDING: Innovative Medicine Initiative.

Cardiovascular and Cancer Risk with Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Increases in lipid levels and cancers with tofacitinib prompted a trial of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and cancers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib as compared with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, open-label, noninferiority, postauthorization, safety end-point trial involving patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate treatment who were 50 years of age or older and had at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive tofacitinib at a dose of 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily or a TNF inhibitor. The coprimary end points were adjudicated MACE and cancers, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer. The noninferiority of tofacitinib would be shown if the upper boundary of the two-sided 95% confidence interval for the hazard ratio was less than 1.8 for the combined tofacitinib doses as compared with a TNF inhibitor. RESULTS: A total of 1455 patients received tofacitinib at a dose of 5 mg twice daily, 1456 received tofacitinib at a dose of 10 mg twice daily, and 1451 received a TNF inhibitor. During a median follow-up of 4.0 years, the incidences of MACE and cancer were higher with the combined tofacitinib doses (3.4% [98 patients] and 4.2% [122 patients], respectively) than with a TNF inhibitor (2.5% [37 patients] and 2.9% [42 patients]). The hazard ratios were 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 1.94) for MACE and 1.48 (95% CI, 1.04 to 2.09) for cancers; the noninferiority of tofacitinib was not shown. The incidences of adjudicated opportunistic infections (including herpes zoster and tuberculosis), all herpes zoster (nonserious and serious), and adjudicated nonmelanoma skin cancer were higher with tofacitinib than with a TNF inhibitor. Efficacy was similar in all three groups, with improvements from month 2 that were sustained through trial completion. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial comparing the combined tofacitinib doses with a TNF inhibitor in a cardiovascular risk-enriched population, risks of MACE and cancers were higher with tofacitinib and did not meet noninferiority criteria. Several adverse events were more common with tofacitinib. (Funded by Pfizer; ORAL Surveillance ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02092467.).

Olokizumab versus Placebo or Adalimumab in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: The cytokine interleukin-6 is involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Olokizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin-6 cytokine directly, is being tested for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: In a 24-week, phase 3, multicenter, placebo- and active-controlled trial, we randomly assigned (in a 2:2:2:1 ratio) patients with rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to methotrexate to receive subcutaneous olokizumab at a dose of 64 mg every 2 or 4 weeks, adalimumab (40 mg every 2 weeks), or placebo; all patients continued methotrexate therapy. The primary end point was an American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) response (≥20% fewer tender and swollen joints and ≥20% improvement in three of five other domains) at week 12, with each olokizumab dose tested for superiority to placebo. We also tested the noninferiority of each olokizumab dose to adalimumab with respect to the percentage of patients with an ACR20 response (noninferiority margin, -12 percentage points in the lower boundary of the 97.5% confidence interval for the difference between groups). RESULTS: A total of 464 patients were assigned to receive olokizumab every 2 weeks, 479 to receive olokizumab every 4 weeks, 462 to receive adalimumab, and 243 to receive placebo. An ACR20 response at week 12 occurred in 44.4% of the patients receiving placebo, in 70.3% receiving olokizumab every 2 weeks (difference vs. placebo, 25.9 percentage points; 97.5% confidence interval [CI], 17.1 to 34.1), in 71.4% receiving olokizumab every 4 weeks (difference vs. placebo, 27.0 percentage points; 97.5% CI, 18.3 to 35.2), and in 66.9% receiving adalimumab (difference vs. placebo, 22.5 percentage points; 95% CI, 14.8 to 29.8) (P<0.001 for the superiority of each olokizumab dose to placebo). Both olokizumab doses were noninferior to adalimumab with respect to the percentage of patients with an ACR20 response at week 12 (difference, 3.4 percentage points [97.5% CI, -3.5 to 10.2] with olokizumab every 2 weeks and 4.5 percentage points [97.5% CI, -2.2 to 11.2] with olokizumab every 4 weeks). Adverse events, most commonly infections, occurred in approximately 70% of the patients who received olokizumab. Antibodies against olokizumab were detected in 3.8% of the patients receiving the drug every 2 weeks and in 5.1% of those receiving it every 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were receiving maintenance methotrexate, olokizumab was superior to placebo and noninferior to adalimumab in producing an ACR20 response at 12 weeks. Larger and longer trials are required to determine the efficacy and safety of olokizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. (Supported by R-Pharm; CREDO2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02760407.).

Next Generation Gold Drugs and Probes: Chemistry and Biomedical Applications.

The gold drugs, gold sodium thiomalate (Myocrisin), aurothioglucose (Solganal), and the orally administered auranofin (Ridaura), are utilized in modern medicine for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis including rheumatoid and juvenile arthritis; however, new gold agents have been slow to enter the clinic. Repurposing of auranofin in different disease indications such as cancer, parasitic, and microbial infections in the clinic has provided impetus for the development of new gold complexes for biomedical applications based on unique mechanistic insights differentiated from auranofin. Various chemical methods for the preparation of physiologically stable gold complexes and associated mechanisms have been explored in biomedicine such as therapeutics or chemical probes. In this Review, we discuss the chemistry of next generation gold drugs, which encompasses oxidation states, geometry, ligands, coordination, and organometallic compounds for infectious diseases, cancer, inflammation, and as tools for chemical biology via gold-protein interactions. We will focus on the development of gold agents in biomedicine within the past decade. The Review provides readers with an accessible overview of the utility, development, and mechanism of action of gold-based small molecules to establish context and basis for the thriving resurgence of gold in medicine.

Revamped role for approved drug: integrative computational and biophysical analysis of saquinavir's peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 inhibition for rheumatoid arthritis.

The pursuit of novel therapeutics is a complex and resource-intensive endeavor marked by significant challenges, including high costs and low success rates. In response, drug repositioning strategies leverage existing FDA-approved compounds to predict their efficacy across diverse diseases. Peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) plays a pivotal role in protein citrullination, a process implicated in the autoimmune pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Targeting PAD4 has thus emerged as a promising therapeutic approach. This study employs computational and enzyme inhibition strategies to identify potential PAD4-targeting compounds from a library of FDA-approved drugs. In silico docking analyses validated the binding interactions and orientations of screened compounds within PAD4's active site, with key residues such as ASP350, HIS471, ASP473, and CYS645 participating in crucial hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations further assessed the stability of top compounds exhibiting high binding affinities. Among these compounds, Saquinavir (SQV) emerged as a potent PAD4 inhibitor, demonstrating competitive inhibition with a low IC50 value of 1.21 ± 0.04 µM. In vitro assays, including enzyme kinetics and biophysical analyses, highlighted significant changes in PAD4 conformation upon SQV binding, as confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. SQV induced localized alterations in PAD4 structure, effectively occupying the catalytic pocket and inhibiting enzymatic activity. These findings underscore SQV's potential as a therapeutic candidate for RA through PAD4 inhibition. Further validation through in vitro and in vivo studies is essential to confirm SQV's therapeutic benefits in autoimmune diseases associated with dysregulated citrullination.

In patients at high risk for RA, abatacept reduced inflammation and RA development at 6 mo.

SOURCE CITATION: Rech J, Tascilar K, Hagen M, et al. Abatacept inhibits inflammation and onset of rheumatoid arthritis in individuals at high risk (ARIAA): a randomised, international, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2024;403:850-859. 38364841.

Rheumatology: What You May Have Missed in 2023.

Many patients with rheumatologic conditions receive care from physicians other than rheumatologists. Here we note key findings from 6 studies in rheumatology published in 2023 that offer valuable insights for internal medicine specialists and subspecialists outside of rheumatology. The first study investigated the effect of low-dose glucocorticoids on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over 2 years and challenged existing perceptions about the risks of glucocorticoids in this setting. The second study focused on the updated guideline for preventing and treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. With the chronic and widespread use of glucocorticoids, the American College of Rheumatology emphasized the importance of assessing fracture risk and initiating pharmacologic therapy when appropriate. The third study explored the potential use of methotrexate in treating inflammatory hand osteoarthritis, suggesting a novel approach to managing this challenging and common condition. The results of the fourth article we highlight suggest that sarilumab has promise as an adjunct treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica relapse during glucocorticoid dosage tapering. The fifth study evaluated sublingual cyclobenzaprine for fibromyalgia treatment, noting both potential benefits and risks. Finally, the sixth article is a systematic review and meta-analysis that assessed the therapeutic equivalence of biosimilars and reference biologics in the treatment of patients with RA. Knowledge of this recent literature will be useful to clinicians regardless of specialty who care for patients with these commonly encountered conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis molecular targets and their importance to flavonoid-based therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a progressive, chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory, and systemic condition that primarily affects the synovial joints and adjacent tissues, including bone, muscle, and tendons. The World Health Organization recognizes RA as one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases. In the last decade, there was an expansion on the available RA therapeutic options which aimed to improve patient's quality of life. Despite the extensive research and the emergence of new therapeutic approaches and drugs, there are still significant unwanted side effects associated to these drugs and still a vast number of patients that do not respond positively to the existing therapeutic strategies. Over the years, several references to the use of flavonoids in the quest for new treatments for RA have emerged. This review aimed to summarize the existing literature about the flavonoids' effects on the major pathogenic/molecular targets of RA and their potential use as lead compounds for the development of new effective molecules for RA treatment. It is demonstrated that flavonoids can modulate various players in synovial inflammation, regulate immune cell function, decrease synoviocytes proliferation and balance the apoptotic process, decrease angiogenesis, and stop/prevent bone and cartilage degradation, which are all dominant features of RA. Although further investigation is necessary to determine the effectiveness of flavonoids in humans, the available data from in vitro and in vivo models suggest their potential as new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. This review highlights the use of flavonoids as a promising avenue for future research in the treatment of RA.

Anemoside B4 alleviates arthritis pain via suppressing ferroptosis-mediated inflammation.

Chronic pain is the key manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. Neuroinflammation in the spinal cord drives central sensitization and chronic pain. Ferroptosis has potentially important roles in the occurrence of neuroinflammation and chronic pain. In the current study, mouse model of collagen-induced arthritis was established by intradermal injection of type II collagen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) solution. CFA inducement resulted in swollen paw and ankle, mechanical and spontaneous pain, and impaired motor coordination. The spinal inflammation was triggered, astrocytes were activated, and increased NLRP3-mediated inflammatory signal was found in CFA spinal cord. Oxidative stress and ferroptosis in the spinal cord were manifested. Meanwhile, enhancive spinal GSK-3ß activity and abnormal phosphorylated Drp1 were observed. To investigate the potential therapeutic options for arthritic pain, mice were intraperitoneally injected with AB4 for three consecutive days. AB4 treatment reduced pain sensitivity and increased the motor coordination. In the spinal cord, AB4 treatment inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response, increased antioxidation, decreased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and ferroptosis. Furthermore, AB4 decreased GSK-3ß activity by binding with GSK-3ß through five electrovalent bonds. Our findings indicated that AB treatment relieves arthritis pain by inhibiting GSK-3ß activation, increasing antioxidant capability, reducing Drp1-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and suppressing neuroinflammation.

Notch ligands are biomarkers of anti-TNF response in RA patients.

Notch and its ligands play a critical role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. Hence, studies were conducted to delineate the functional significance of the Notch pathway in RA synovial tissue (ST) cells and the influence of RA therapies on their expression. Morphological studies reveal that JAG1, DLL4, and Notch1 are highly enriched in RA ST lining and sublining CD68+CD14+ MΦs. JAG1 and DLL4 transcription is jointly upregulated in RA MΦs reprogrammed by TLR4/5 ligation and TNF, whereas Syntenin-1 exposure expands JAG1, DLL4, and Notch1 expression levels in these cells. Single-cell RNA-seq data exhibit that JAG1 and Notch3 are overexpressed on all fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) subpopulations, in parallel, JAG2, DLL1, and Notch1 expression levels are modest on RA FLS and are predominately potentiated by TLR4 ligation. Intriguingly, JAG1, DLL1/4, and Notch1/3 are presented on RA endothelial cells, and their expression is mutually reconfigured by TLR4/5 ligation in the endothelium. Synovial JAG1/JAG2/DLL1 or Notch1/3 transcriptomes were unchanged in patients who received disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or IL-6R Ab therapy regardless of disease activity score. Uniquely, RA MΦs and endothelial cells rewired by IL-6 displayed DLL4 transcriptional upregulation, and IL-6R antibody treatment disrupted RA ST DLL4 transcription in good responders compared to non-responders or moderate responders. Nevertheless, the JAG1/JAG2/DLL1/DLL4 transcriptome was diminished in anti-TNF good responders with myeloid pathotype and was unaltered in the fibroid pathotype except for DLL4. Taken together, our findings suggest that RA myeloid Notch ligands can serve as markers for anti-TNF responsiveness and trans-activate Notch receptors expressed on RA FLS and/or endothelial cells.

Itaconate reduces proliferation and migration of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and ameliorates arthritis models.

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play critical roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Itaconate (ITA), an endogenous metabolite derived from the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, has attracted attention because of its anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial effects. This study evaluated the effect of ITA on FLS and its potential to treat RA. ITA significantly decreased FLS proliferation and migration in vitro, as well as mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis measured by an extracellular flux analyzer. ITA accumulates metabolites including succinate and citrate in the TCA cycle. In rats with type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), intra-articular injection of ITA reduced arthritis and bone erosion. Irg1-deficient mice lacking the ability to produce ITA had more severe arthritis than control mice in the collagen antibody-induced arthritis. ITA ameliorated CIA by inhibiting FLS proliferation and migration. Thus, ITA may be a novel therapeutic agent for RA.