Engineered protein has potential for new anti-inflamatory treatment

"The development of this protein extends our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive the growth factors and cytokines control of cartilage development and arthritis," said Chuan-ju Liu, PhD, the lead researcher and associate professor, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell Biology, NYU Langone Medical Center. "Whether the protein accounts for all of the anti-inflammatory effects we observed in the study needs to replicated, but we are very encouraged by these initial results."

Over the last 20 years research in rheumatology has focused on identifying cytokines (cell-signaling protein molecules secreted by the glial cells of the nervous system and other cells in the immune system responsible for intercellular communication), leading to the inflammatory and degenerative processes in rheumatoid arthritis. The molecule created and used in this study, called ATSTTRIN (antagonist of TNF/TNFR signaling via targeting to TNF receptors), is a peptide constructed from segments of proteins that originate within a cell, which has a high affinity and specificity for binding to tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFR).

The researchers suggest that this progranulin-derived protein could result in alternative treatments to those suffering from chronic autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's diseases, ulcerative colitis, ankylosing spondylitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Dr. Liu's co-authors include Wei Tang and Yi Lu, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China and NYU Langone Medical Center; Qing-Yun Tian, Michael L. Dustin and Steven B. Abramson, NYU Langone Medical Center; and Xiu-Ping Yu, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China.