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Volume 7 Issue 5, May 2001

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disease characterized by chronic joint inflammation that leads to cartilage and bone destruction. On page 563 of this issue, Delgado et al. demonstrate that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects, reduces arthritis symptoms in a mouse model of the disease. VIP administration downregulated the inflammatory response, preventing swelling and joint damage. The cover photo shows a section through the joint of a model mouse.

Volume 7 Issue 5

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  • The mutant proteins that cause polyglutamine disease bind CREB-binding protein (CBP), a key transcriptional co-activator for neuronal survival factors. This results in a loss of CBP-dependent transcription and may account for the neuronal degeneration associated with these diseases.

    • Alexander McCampbell
    • Kenneth H. Fischbeck
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  • Although gene therapy studies of angiogenesis have focused on the ability of endothelial cells to form new structures, it has recently become clear that the subsequent stages of remodeling are crucial to attaining stable and functional vessels. A precise balance of cell types and molecules is required for normal vessel maturation and must be considered in the design of therapeutic angiogenic strategies.

    • Helen M. Blau
    • Andrea Banfi
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  • The transcription factor SXR mediates drug, xenobiotic and steroid induction of a major drug–metabolizing enzyme. Drugs such as paclitaxel (Taxol) can bind and activate this transcription factor and therefore regulate their own metabolism and efflux from cells. Manipulation of this pathway might lead to new ways to improve therapeutic efficacy and to minimize toxicity (584–590).

    • Erin Schuetz
    • Stephen Strom
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  • Many studies have shown that immune system modulation can be used to treat various forms of arthritis. A vasoactive intestinal peptide has recently been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory effects, indicating a new therapeutic approach for inflammatory arthritis (pages 563–568).

    • Gary S. Firestein
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    • Leila Alland
    • Tanguy Chouard
    • Charlotte Wang
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