Arthritis Vaccine
Scientists have developed a vaccine against rheumatoid arthritis
American scientists have developed an experimental vaccine against rheumatoid arthritis, a painful autoimmune disease that currently cannot be treated. The article with the description is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Chun et al., 14-3-3ζ: A suppressor of inflammatory arthritis).
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body's own immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissues, primarily the joints of the hands, wrists, ankles and knees.
"Despite the high prevalence, there is no cure for this disease, and we do not fully know what causes it. However, this is true for almost all autoimmune diseases, which makes it difficult to treat or prevent them," the press release says. University Toledo in the state Ohio the words of the head of the study, Dr. Ritu Chakravarti, associate professor of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences.
Chakravarti has been studying a protein called 14-3-3 zeta for many years and its role in immune pathologies, including aortic aneurysms, as well as interleukin-17 – a cytokine associated with autoimmune diseases. Researchers have found that removing the 14-3-3 zeta protein using gene editing technology causes the development of severe arthritis in laboratory animals.
Based on the assumption that the protein 14-3-3 zeta protects against rheumatoid arthritis, scientists have developed a vaccine based on purified protein grown in a bacterial cell. In subsequent animal experiments, the authors proved that the vaccine promotes a strong, immediate and long-lasting response from the body's innate immune system, which provides protection against the disease.
"To our great surprise, rheumatoid arthritis completely disappeared in animals that received the vaccine," says Chakravarty. "If we can successfully bring this vaccine to clinical trials, it will be revolutionary."
In addition to suppressing the development of arthritis, the vaccine also significantly improved bone quality, which suggests additional long-term benefits after immunization.
Currently, rheumatoid arthritis is treated mainly with corticosteroids, broad-spectrum immunosuppressants or newer biological drugs that target a specific inflammatory process. Although these therapies relieve pain and slow the progression of the disease, they also make patients more vulnerable to infections, and they are often very expensive.
"We have a completely different approach. The vaccine-based strategy, we hope, can not only treat, but also prevent rheumatoid arthritis. The potential here is huge," the scientist notes.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru