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PHARMACOTHERAPY

DNA methylation inhibitor resets tolerance in autoimmune arthritis

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 17, page 379 (2021)Cite this article

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In autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, a loss of immune tolerance occurs that is associated with reduced activity of regulatory T (Treg) cells and increased numbers of pro-inflammatory T helper 1 (TH1) and TH17 cells. The results of a new study suggest that the balance between Treg cells and TH1 and TH17 cells could be restored in autoimmune arthritis by modulating the epigenetic landscape of these cells.

After testing several DNA methylation inhibitors for their ability to induce Treg cells in vitro and for their effects on mice with collagen-induced arthritis, the researchers settled on decitabine, a drug already approved for use in cancer, as a candidate for further investigation. Decitabine not only ameliorated arthritis, it also increased the number of Treg cells in the affected joints and decreased the number of TH1 and TH17 cells.

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References

Original article

  • Huang, Y.-S. et al. Pharmacological modulation of T cell immunity results in long-term remission of autoimmune arthritis. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 118, e2100939118 (2021)

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  1. Nature Reviews Rheumatology http://www.nature.com/nrrheum/

    Joanna Clarke

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  1. Joanna Clarke
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Correspondence to Joanna Clarke.

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Clarke, J. DNA methylation inhibitor resets tolerance in autoimmune arthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 17, 379 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-021-00635-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-021-00635-w

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