Rheumatoid arthritis articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The TAM tyrosine kinases, Axl and MerTK, have been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, using a synovial tissue bioresource of patients with RA, the authors describe how Axl and MerTK expression and function are linked to synovial histopathology, disease activity, and therapeutic intervention with IL-6 inhibitors.

    • Alessandra Nerviani
    • , Marie-Astrid Boutet
    •  & Costantino Pitzalis
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fine-mapping has previously implicated the non-coding single nucleotide polymorphism rs117701653 as a risk variant for rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, however its function remained unclear. Here the authors show that this variant decreases binding of the inhibitory factor SMCHD1 to enhance expression of ICOS, promoting development of potentially pathogenic T peripheral helper cells.

    • Taehyeung Kim
    • , Marta Martínez-Bonet
    •  & Peter A. Nigrovic
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hundreds of arthritis-associated genetic variants have been identified but in most cases their functions remain unknown. Here the authors develop a resource to reveal the effects of variants on gene expression in human synovium, and identify arthritis-related genes.

    • Feng Jiang
    • , Shou-Ye Hu
    •  & Tie-Lin Yang
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are characterised by relapsing-remitting flares, which are difficult to study due to their unpredictable nature. Here the authors use an experimental model of immunomodulatory drug cessation in RA patients combined with multi-omic analysis of circulating leukocytes to characterise the immune response for those with arthritis flare versus drug-free remission.

    • Kenneth F. Baker
    • , David McDonald
    •  & John D. Isaacs
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mast cells have been shown to be involved with rheumatoid arthritis, but the mechanisms are not clear. Here using mouse models and making association with human patients, the authors show mast cells have an important function in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, involving regulation of T cell responses and release of mast cell mediators.

    • Yunxuan Lei
    • , Xin Guo
    •  & Guangjie Chen
  • Article
    | Open Access

    The presence of antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) in peripheral blood represents a risk a state that is ‘at-risk’ for subsequent development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here authors compare multiple molecular and immunological parameters in individuals who are ACPA positive without inflammatory arthritis, ACPA negative controls and patients diagnosed with ACPA positive early-stage RA to conclude that complex immunopathological processes are present in an ACPA positive state which may be targeted by future preventive approaches for RA.

    • Eddie A. James
    • , V. Michael Holers
    •  & Kevin D. Deane
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Skeletal disorders are commonly diagnosed by X-ray imaging, but the radiation limits its use. Here, the authors show that intravital NIR-II bone imaging is effective in diagnosis of a series of common bone diseases non-invasively in mice.

    • Chao Mi
    • , Xun Zhang
    •  & Dayong Jin
  • Article
    | Open Access

    The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and accumulation of circulating free (cf) DNA increase with age but it is unknown whether DNA fragments cause joint inflammation. Here authors show that cf DNA levels are higher in RA patients and that in a rat adjuvant-induced arthritis model, the exonuclease TREX1 suppresses synovial inflammation via promoting the degradation of cf DNA and inhibiting a senescence-like cellular state.

    • Wei-Dan Luo
    • , Yu-Ping Wang
    •  & Vincent Kam Wai Wong
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antibodies directed against citrullinated proteins are commonly found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Here, the authors show that citrullination alters the peptide repertoire presented to T cells by altering protease cleavage and inducing protein destabilization, thereby exposing cryptic epitopes.

    • Ashley M. Curran
    • , Alexander A. Girgis
    •  & Erika Darrah
  • Article
    | Open Access

    The immune mechanisms underlying synovitis and joint tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain incompletely defined. Here, the authors demonstrate that ACPA+ RA patients have activated clonally expanded cytotoxic GZMB+ CD8+ T cells in blood and synovium that target and are activated by citrullinated antigens to mediate cell killing.

    • Jae-Seung Moon
    • , Shady Younis
    •  & William H. Robinson
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are used as a model of rheumatoid arthritis synoviocytes, although cell lines derived from individual patients can have heterogeneous biology. Here the authors use a Taiji computational approach to analyze gene expression, chromatin accessibility and functional differences between individual patient-derived RA FLS lines.

    • Richard I. Ainsworth
    • , Deepa Hammaker
    •  & Wei Wang
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Expansion of synovial fibroblast is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression, but how this expansion is regulated is still not clear. Here the authors use a mouse RA model, single cell RNA sequencing and in vitro analyses to show that inducing ferroptosis and suppressing TNF signaling reduce fibroblast numbers and ameliorate experimental arthritis.

    • Jiao Wu
    • , Zhuan Feng
    •  & Ping Zhu
  • Article
    | Open Access

    The Cia21 locus on chromosome 3 has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis severity in females. Here the authors show this locus houses a non-coding polymorphic estrogen receptor binding site and how it regulates neighbouring gene expression of CD2, implicating CD2 signalling in the sexual dimorphism of a variety of T cell-dependent autoimmune diseases.

    • Gonzalo Fernandez Lahore
    • , Michael Förster
    •  & Rikard Holmdahl
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are commonly stratified by ACPA serology, with positivity being associated with more severe disease and joint destruction. Here the authors present a single cell RNA sequencing resource comparing peripheral blood and synovial tissue cells from patients with ACPA+ versus ACPA- rheumatoid arthritis.

    • Xunyao Wu
    • , Yi Liu
    •  & Xuan Zhang
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Celastrol might be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis in part by inhibiting apoptosis of macrophages; however, systemic toxicity is a concern. Here the authors design celastrol-loaded nanoparticles that release a payload in response to MMP9 cleavage and show these NPs are effective at inducing apoptosis of human macrophages in vitro and a therapeutic effect with an adjuvant-induced arthritis model in rats.

    • Caifeng Deng
    • , Quan Zhang
    •  & Zhirong Zhang
  • Article
    | Open Access

    ORAI3 is part of pore forming calcium channels involved in T cell activation. Here the authors show that there is increased expression of ORAI3 in T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and that the transcription factor IKAROS negatively regulates the ORAI3 promoter, indicating a regulatory loop that can control auto-reactivity of T cells in these patients.

    • Zhongde Ye
    • , Yi Shen
    •  & Jörg J. Goronzy
  • Article
    | Open Access

    TARM1 is a LILR family member that drives cell signalling via interactions with FcRγ. Here the authors show that TARM1 binds collagens to activate dendritic cells and thereby is an effector of inflammatory arthritis, plus provide a soluble TARM-Fc fusion protein that can limit collagen-induced arthritis in mice.

    • Rikio Yabe
    • , Soo-Hyun Chung
    •  & Yoichiro Iwakura
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cytokine storm seems to be a common feature of severe COVID-19 pathology. Here, the authors show a reduced rate of SARS-CoV2 positivity in a large population of patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases if they are already being treated with cytokine or JAK inhibitors, indicating these treatments are safe to continue and are possibly protective against COVID19.

    • David Simon
    • , Koray Tascilar
    •  & Georg Schett
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Intestinal dysbiosis is associated with an ever-growing list of autoimmune diseases. Here the authors show that both mice and humans with autoimmune arthritis can have dysbiosis and barrier leakiness prior to major signs of inflammatory arthritis, and treatment of mice with a zonulin antagonist can limit collagen-induced arthritis.

    • Narges Tajik
    • , Michael Frech
    •  & Mario M. Zaiss
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with protection from some autoimmune diseases. Here the authors show that ethanol and its metabolite acetate can protect mice from collagen-induced arthritis and provide evidence that the mechanism of this effect might be via inhibition of the effector function of T follicular helper cells.

    • Vugar Azizov
    • , Katharina Dietel
    •  & Mario M. Zaiss
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Scavenger receptor-A (SR-A) is mostly expressed by myeloid cells and has been attributed a variety of biological functions. Here the authors assess SR-A as a biomarker for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using large-scale training and validation cohorts and show that modulating SR-A levels can alter progression of collagen-induced arthritis in mice.

    • Fanlei Hu
    • , Xiang Jiang
    •  & Zhanguo Li
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fibroblast hyper-activation and proliferation is a major feature in arthritis, yet scarcely addressed for anti-arthritic therapies. Here, the authors show that activation of the MC1 receptor induces fibroblast senescence associated with a reparative phenotype, ultimately regulating experimental inflammatory arthritis.

    • Trinidad Montero-Melendez
    • , Ai Nagano
    •  & Mauro Perretti
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Skewing of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) occurs when the silencing of one parental X chromosome is non-random. Here, Zito et al. report XCI patterns in lymphoblastoid cell lines, blood, subcutaneous adipose tissue samples and skin samples of monozygotic and dizygotic twins and find XCI skew to associate with tissue and age.

    • Antonino Zito
    • , Matthew N. Davies
    •  & Kerrin S. Small
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Leflunomide is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Here, the authors show that effectiveness is limited in patients with higher levels of serum c-reactive protein (CRP). Using animal models, they show that higher CRP induces HIF1a expression, which in turn interferes with Leflunomide signalling, and that effectiveness of the drug is restored when HIF1a is pharmacologically inhibited.

    • Chao Liang
    • , Jie Li
    •  & Aiping Lu
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Modulation of the cholinergic pathway and spleen function can reduce inflammation with invasive implants. Here, the authors show that non-invasive ultrasound stimulation of the spleen reduces disease severity in a mouse model of inflammatory arthritis, partly via altering B and T cell function.

    • Daniel P. Zachs
    • , Sarah J. Offutt
    •  & Hubert H. Lim
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metabolic pathways are increasingly recognized as crucial determinants of T cell function. Here the authors show that the balance between IFNγ and IL-10 production in human CD4 T cells is modulated by the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway.

    • Esperanza Perucha
    • , Rossella Melchiotti
    •  & Andrew P. Cope
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) released from damaged or dead cells can activate DNA sensors that exacerbate the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here the authors use ~40 nm cationic nanoparticles to scavenge cfDNA, and demonstrate the potential for nanomedicine to relieve debilitating RA symptoms.

    • Huiyi Liang
    • , Bo Peng
    •  & Yongming Chen
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Osteoclasts mediate bone disruption in a number of degenerative bone diseases. Here, the authors show that miR-182 regulates osteoclastogenesis via PKR and IFN-beta signaling, is correlated with rheumatoid arthritis, and that its ablation or inhibition is protective against bone erosion in mouse models of osteoporosis or inflammatory arthritis.

    • Kazuki Inoue
    • , Zhonghao Deng
    •  & Baohong Zhao
  • Article
    | Open Access

    At inflammatory sites, ectopic lymphoid-like structures (ELS) can be induced through the function of chemokine CXCL13 produced by CD4+ T cells. Here the authors show that a transcription factor, Sox4, induces the expression of CXCL13 in CD4 T cells in vitro, and is associated with ELS formation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

    • Hiroyuki Yoshitomi
    • , Shio Kobayashi
    •  & Junya Toguchida
  • Article
    | Open Access

    IFN-γ is central in inflammatory pathogenesis, response to infection and autoimmune diseases. Here the authors show that MMP12 expression is reduced in patients with SLE and that MMP12 post-translationally truncates IFN-y, inhibiting its function and affecting pathogenesis of mouse models of peritonitis, SLE and rheumatoid arthritis.

    • Antoine Dufour
    • , Caroline L. Bellac
    •  & Christopher M. Overall
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are characterized by a chronic inflammatory state, but it is not clear whether or how this affects the brain. Here, the authors show that the severity of on-going inflammation predicts altered functional brain connectivity in people with rheumatoid arthritis.

    • Andrew Schrepf
    • , Chelsea M. Kaplan
    •  & Neil Basu
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in the intimal layer of the synovium can become invasive and destroy cartilage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here the authors integrate a variety of epigenomic data to map the epigenome of FLS in RA and identify potential therapeutic targets.

    • Rizi Ai
    • , Teresina Laragione
    •  & Gary S. Firestein
  • Article
    | Open Access

    CXCR2 antagonism has been shown to be anti-arthritic, but anti-chemokine therapies usually fail in the clinic owing to redundancy in chemokine-receptor interactions. Here the authors develop single-chain antibodies with multiple chemokine specificities to achieve high affinity and broad specificity to mouse and human CXC chemokines with efficacy in a K/BxN serum transfer model of arthritis.

    • Alessandro Angelini
    • , Yoshishige Miyabe
    •  & K. Dane Wittrup
  • Article
    | Open Access

    The treatment of inflammatory arthritis by local delivery of therapeutics is limited by short half-lives of drugs. Here the authors demonstrate a hydrogel platform that titrates drug release to arthritis activity.

    • Nitin Joshi
    • , Jing Yan
    •  & Jeffrey M. Karp
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synovial fibroblasts are thought to be central mediators of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here the authors use single-cell transcriptomics and flow cytometry to identify synovial fibroblast subsets that are expanded and display distinct tissue distribution and function in patients with RA.

    • Fumitaka Mizoguchi
    • , Kamil Slowikowski
    •  & Michael B. Brenner
  • Article
    | Open Access

    TNF is a major therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and synovial fibroblasts are central to the pathogenesis of RA. Here the authors dissect TNF-induced death and activation signalling in RA synovial fibroblasts and TNF-driven arthritis and indicate that a successful therapeutic strategy might be to target both IKK2 and RIPK3 at the same time.

    • Marietta Armaka
    • , Caroline Ospelt
    •  & George Kollias
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Osteoclasts are involved in arthritis, and their differentiation depends on RANKL signaling. The author show that the ROS-scavenging protein DJ-1 negatively regulates RANKL signaling and that its ablation increases osteoclast numbers and exacerbates bone damage in mouse models of arthritis.

    • Hyuk Soon Kim
    • , Seung Taek Nam
    •  & Wahn Soo Choi
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Post-translational modifications can affect antibody function in health and disease, but identification of all variants is difficult using existing technologies. Here the authors develop a microfluidic method to identify and quantify low-abundance IgG N-glycans and show some of these IgGs can be used as biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis.

    • Jing-Rong Wang
    • , Wei-Na Gao
    •  & Zhi-Hong Jiang
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proliferation of synoviocytes contributes to joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Here the authors show that targeting of these cells by a vector, consisting of a baculovirus conjugated to an adenovirus carrying the pro-apoptotic gene PUMA, has therapeutic efficacy in a rat arthritis model.

    • Saw-See Hong
    • , Hubert Marotte
    •  & Pierre Miossec
  • Article
    | Open Access

    Axl is a TAM receptor that can inhibit Toll-like receptor (TLR) -induced pro-inflammatory production by dendritic cells (DC). Here the authors show that miR-34a targets Axl to control CD1c+ DC activity in mice, and that miR-34a-deficient mice are resistant to collagen-induced arthritis, whereas DCs from patients with rheumatoid arthritis have high levels of miR- 34a.

    • Mariola Kurowska-Stolarska
    • , Stefano Alivernini
    •  & Iain B. McInnes