A spoon full of sugar helps inflammation go down
Immune responses in the skin are mediated by effector T cells migrating to the inflamed and injured area. Inhibition of this migration has long been an attractive, though challenging, basis for anti-inflammatory treatment strategies. The migration is regulated, in part, by the proteins E-selectin and P-selectin present within endothelial cells of the skin. In a new study, Charles Dimitroff and colleagues from Harvard Medical School introduce a new strategy for the inhibition of selectin ligand production, which blocks E-selectin ligand expression and therefore ultimately prevents the development of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses.
Most interestingly, the agent used – a novel fluorosugar compound, 4-F-GlcNAc -– inhibited CHS responses with higher efficacy than glucocorticoids or calcineurin inhibitors currently available for the treatment of allergic skin reactions such as psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. The authors indicate that while a novel drug may still be some way off in terms of an available treatment, inhibition of selectin ligand activity has the potential for efficacy in both preventative and therapeutic applications. In an accompanying commentary, Thomas Zollner and Khusru Asadullah from Schering AG in Berlin, Germany, discuss the underlying mechanisms of this approach and potential therapeutic applications.
TITLE: Prevention of leukocyte migration to inflamed skin with a novel fluorosugar modifier of cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Charles J. Dimitroff
Harvard Institutes of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Phone: 617-525-5602
Fax: 617-525-5571
Email: cdimitroff@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/press/19220.pdf
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY:
Selectin and selectin ligand binding: a bittersweet attraction
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Thomas M. Zollner
Schering AG, Berlin, Germany.
Phone: 49-30-468-17235
Fax: 49-30-468-97235
Email: Thomas.Zollner@schering.de
View the PDF of this commentary at: https://www.the-jci.org/press/19962.pdf
Media Contact
All latest news from the category: Health and Medicine
This subject area encompasses research and studies in the field of human medicine.
Among the wide-ranging list of topics covered here are anesthesiology, anatomy, surgery, human genetics, hygiene and environmental medicine, internal medicine, neurology, pharmacology, physiology, urology and dental medicine.
Newest articles
Superradiant atoms could push the boundaries of how precisely time can be measured
Superradiant atoms can help us measure time more precisely than ever. In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen present a new method for measuring the time interval,…
Ion thermoelectric conversion devices for near room temperature
The electrode sheet of the thermoelectric device consists of ionic hydrogel, which is sandwiched between the electrodes to form, and the Prussian blue on the electrode undergoes a redox reaction…
Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device
New publication reports record electron temperatures for a small-scale, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fusion technologies have demonstrated…