Journal
LUPUS
Volume 24, Issue 13, Pages 1437-1442Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0961203315591031
Keywords
SLE; MRL; Lpr mouse; inflammation; antinuclear antibody (ANA); nephritis; parasitic helminth; ES-62; MyD88
Categories
Funding
- Wellcome Trust [086852/Z/08/Z]
- Wellcome Trust [086852/Z/08/Z] Funding Source: Wellcome Trust
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [BB/E013929/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- Medical Research Council [MC_PC_13063] Funding Source: researchfish
- BBSRC [BB/E013929/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- MRC [MC_PC_13063] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Introduction ES-62, a phosphorylcholine (PC)-containing immunomodulator secreted by the parasitic worm Acanthocheilonema viteae, protects against nephritis in the MRL/Lpr mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, ES-62 is not suitable for development as a therapy and thus we have designed drug-like small molecule analogues (SMAs) based around its active PC-moiety. To provide proof of concept that ES-62-based SMAs exhibit therapeutic potential in SLE, we have investigated the capacity of two SMAs to protect against nephritis when administered to MRL/Lpr mice after onset of kidney damage. Methods SMAs 11a and 12b were evaluated for their ability to suppress antinuclear antibody (ANA) generation and consequent kidney pathology in MRL/Lpr mice when administered after the onset of proteinuria. Results SMAs 11a and 12b suppressed development of ANA and proteinuria. Protection reflected downregulation of MyD88 expression by kidney cells and this was associated with reduced production of IL-6, a cytokine that exhibits promise as a therapeutic target for this condition. Conclusions SMAs 11a and 12b provide proof of principle that synthetic compounds based on the safe immunomodulatory mechanisms of parasitic worms can exhibit therapeutic potential as a novel class of drugs for SLE, a disease for which current therapies remain inadequate.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available