Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation, pain and joint remodeling. Existing RA therapies such analgesics and anti-inflammatories can treat symptoms. More recent strides in disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can slow progression of disease. However, there is still no therapeutic that can reverse disease damage and there is no cure for RA. Resolvin E1 (RvE1) is an endogenous lipid initially identified as a key pro-resolving mediator. By tamping down expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), RvE1 is able to down-modulate inflammation and return an inflamed tissue to a homeostatic state. More recently, RvE1 has been shown to act directly to inhibit inflammatory pain through central and peripheral nervous system mechanisms. RvE1 has also been shown to restore bone homeostasis by balancing osteoclast and osteoblast activity. In contrast to current therapeutics that treat symptoms and slow disease progression, a RvE1 pathway agonist has the potential to reverse RA by resolving inflammation, reversing bone remodeling and returning joints to normal homeostasis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/14644 |
| Date | 22 January 2016 |
| Creators | Miyashiro, Joy |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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