TNF signalling in rheumatoid arthritis

Blocking tumour necrosis factor ligands inhibits both humoral and cellular immune mechanisms in a model of rheumatoid arthritis.

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) plays a pivotal role in the mechanism of rheumatoid arthritis. In July Nature Immunology, Hua Wang and colleagues from Genentech Inc., San Francisco, dissected the TNF molecular mechanism and identified new targets for potential therapeutic intervention in autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, that involve both B and T cells.

Two closely related TNF family ligands, B lymphocyte stimulator (BlyS) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), bind to two TNF receptors called transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) and B cell maturation molecule (BCMA). These ligand-receptor interactions are known to regulate humoral B cell immune responses.

Working with a murine model of rheumatoid arthritis (collagen-induced arthritis -CIA) Wang et al. found that TACI-Fc treatment substantially inhibited inflammation, bone and cartilage destruction and disease development. In addition, TACI-Fc blocked the activation of T cells in vitro and inhibited antigen-specific T cell activation and priming in vivo (Nat Immunol ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Tudor Toma

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
Image of small blue creatures called Nergals. Some have hearts above their heads, which signify friendship. There is one Nergal who is sneezing and losing health, which is denoted by minus one signs floating around it.
June 2025, Issue 1

Nergal Networks: Where Friendship Meets Infection

A citizen science game explores how social choices and networks can influence how an illness moves through a population.

View this Issue
Unraveling Complex Biology with Advanced Multiomics Technology

Unraveling Complex Biology with Five-Dimensional Multiomics

Element Bioscience Logo
Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

Twist Bio 
The Scientist Placeholder Image

Seeing and Sorting with Confidence

BD
The Scientist Placeholder Image

Streamlining Microbial Quality Control Testing

MicroQuant™ by ATCC logo

Products

parse-biosciences-logo

Pioneering Cancer Plasticity Atlas will help Predict Response to Cancer Therapies

waters-logo

How Alderley Analytical are Delivering eXtreme Robustness in Bioanalysis

Nuclera’s eProtein Discovery

Nuclera and Cytiva collaborate to accelerate characterization of proteins for drug development