http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/110776.php
New Way To Fight Inflammation Discovered At Oxford
Article Date: 11 Jun 2008 - 5:00 PDT
Researchers at the University of Oxford have discovered a series of
new peptide molecules that have potential as treatments of
inflammatory disorders, including endotoxic shock, inflammatory bowel
disease, rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis and atherosclerosis.
The peptides work by reducing the production of inflammatory
cytokines, signaling proteins which play an im****tant role in the
body's response to infection and injury, but are also implicated in
excessive immune responses in inflammatory diseases.
Dr David Greaves, at the University of Oxford's Sir William Dunn
School of Pathology, said his group's work could provide a new
approach to developing treatments for chronic inflammation:
"All the drugs that we currently have for treating inflammation target
pro-inflammatory molecules, and all have side-effects, essentially
they're dampening down pro-inflammatory signals, not controlling the
underlying inflammation.
"Our approach taps into the body's naturally occurring anti-
inflammatory mechanism."
The peptides work by inhibiting activated macrophages via the G
protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), ChemR23 - substantially reducing the
production of inflammatory cytokines TNF=E1, MCP-1, IL-6 and IL-1=E2.
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Luke
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