Cortistatin as a potential multistep therapeutic agent for inflammatory disorders.

Abstract

The induction of immune tolerance is critical for the prevention of autoimmunity and the maintenance of immune homeostasis. The identification of factors involved in the maintenance or restoration of such tolerance has become the focus of new therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Cortistatin, a recently discovered cyclic neuropeptide related to somatostatin, has emerged as a potential endogenous antiinflammatory factor based on its production by, as well as its binding to, immune cells. Thus, cortistatin has been found to downregulate the inflammatory response mediated by activated macrophages. The present work reviews various recent studies involving different experimental models of sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, demonstrating that cortistatin treatment offers great benefits at both the clinical and pathological levels. These include the downregulation of both inflammatory and Th1-mediated autoimmune disease components and the emergence of regulatory T cells (Treg) that suppress autoreactive T cells, both of which contribute to the restoration of immune tolerance. While many questions need to be resolved, cortistatin appears to be an exciting and promising candidate for the treatment of several chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders.

• Authors: Elena Gonzalez-Rey, Mario Delgado
• Journal: Drug news & perspectives (Drug News Perspect) Vol. 19 Issue 7 Pg. 393-9 (Sep 2006) ISSN: 0214-0934 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17080202 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright (c) 2006 Prous Science. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Immunologic Factors
• Neuropeptides
• cortistatin

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (pharmacology)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy, immunology)
• Autoimmune Diseases (drug therapy, immunology)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Humans
• Immunologic Factors (pharmacology)
• Inflammation (drug therapy, immunology)
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (drug therapy, immunology)
• Macrophages (immunology)
• Neuropeptides (pharmacology)
• Shock, Septic (drug therapy, immunology)
• Th1 Cells (immunology)