Volume 13 Issue 5, May 2017

There is mounting evidence that osteoblasts are involved in the regulation of global energy metabolism. Although osteocalcin signalling remains important, the complexity of systemic energy storage and expenditure makes it likely that hitherto unknown factors are also involved in osteoblast-mediated regulation of metabolism.

New insights into the ability of platelets to modify lymphocyte biology suggest a potential anti-inflammatory role for platelet therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. The success of this therapy will depend on researchers being able to define the best formulation to manipulate the crosstalk between inflammatory, vascular and synovial cells.

Results from a cohort study are challenging the diagnostic algorithm proposed by the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society by showing that rheumatologists are not always confirming a diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis in patients with multiple features of spondyloarthritis. How will these results affect the future development of classification criteria?

The need for energy permeates every aspect of the life of immune cells, being especially important during periods of transition and differentiation such as during inflammation. In this Review, the authors provide an overview of the processes and pathways involved in immunometabolism.

Metabolic abnormalities have been reported in immune cells in lupus, notably in T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but also in other immune cell types. This Review discusses recent clinical and experimental evidence for cell-specific metabolic dysfunction in SLE, and the potential therapeutic benefit of targeting these processes.

Metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in disease has functional consequences and presents potential therapeutic opportunities. In this Review, Weyand & Goronzy examine the role of immunometabolism in rheumatoid arthritis, looking particularly at the different metabolic pathways used in early and late stages of disease.

Metabolic reprogramming of immune cells and somatic cells alike has a role in perpetuating disease in the joints. In this Review, the authors examine metabolic alterations that occur in the main cells of the joint tissues during osteoarthritis.

The pathways by which cells modulate metabolism to attain optimal effector responses present numerous potential therapeutic targets in the context of rheumatic diseases. This article explores the ways in which selective manipulation of metabolic pathways might influence immune cell populations and provide protection from inflammation and disease.