Molecule identified that could lead to new drugs for lupus and Sjogren’s

An inflammatory molecule that appears to play an essential role in systemic lupus erythematosus has been identified by a team from Massachusetts General Hospital, they report in Nature Immunology.
The protein seems to regulate cells in the innate immune system – the body’s first line of defence against infection. Studies on mice found that the protein’s activity is needed for the development of lupus symptoms. It is hoped that suppressing the innate immune pathway could reduce symptoms of the autoimmune disorder.
“This study is the first demonstration that the receptor TREML4 amplifies the cellular responses transmitted through the TLR7 receptor and that a lack of such amplification prevents the inflammatory overactivation underlying lupus,” explains Dr Terry Means, who is involved in the work. “Our preliminary results suggest that TREML4-regulated signaling through TLR7 may be a potential drug target to limit inflammation and the development of autoimmunity.”
Identifying the potential role of TREML4 in lupus may lead to the development of drugs that could prevent or reduce the development or progression of lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome, which also appears to involve TLR7 overactivation.
“Given that only one new drug has been approved for lupus patients in the last 50 years, there is a pressing need for more specific and less toxic drugs to treat it and other autoimmune disorders,” Dr Means says.

Image credit: Kate Ter Haar

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