Blocking interleukin-1 in rheumatic diseases.

Abstract

The role of the potent proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 in disease could clinically be investigated with the development of the IL-1 blocking agent anakinra (Kineret), a recombinant IL-1 receptor antagonist. It was first tested in patients with sepsis without much benefit but was later FDA approved for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. More recently IL-1 blocking therapies are used successfully to treat a new group of immune-mediated inflammatory conditions, autoinflammatory diseases. These conditions include rare hereditary fever syndromes and pediatric and adult conditions of Still's disease. Recently the FDA approved two additional longer acting IL-1 blocking agents, for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), an IL-1 dependent autoinflammatory syndrome. The study of autoinflammatory diseases revealed mechanisms of IL-1 mediated organ damage and provided concepts to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of more common diseases such as gout and Type 2 diabetes which show initial promising results with IL-1 blocking therapy.

• Authors: Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky
• Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci) Vol. 1182 Pg. 111-23 (Dec 2009) ISSN: 1749-6632 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20074280 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein
• Interleukin-1

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Interleukin-1 (antagonists & inhibitors, immunology)
• Rheumatic Diseases (drug therapy, genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)