Inhibiting the activity of a protein called ROCK2 lowers the production of inflammation-promoting molecules and alleviates the symptoms of autoimmune diseases – osteoarthritis and systemic lupus, according to US scientists in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The development of autoimmune diseases, sometimes also called autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid osteoarthritis, i.e. rheumatism, lupus, multiple sclerosis) occurs when the body’s immune system is overactive and destroys its own cells and tissues. Then it also produces large amounts of soluble pro-inflammatory molecules, including the so-called interleukins 17 and 21 (IL-17 and IL-21).
Alessandra Pernis’s group at Columbia University in New York City has shown in mice that the activity of a protein called ROCK2 plays an important role in the mechanism of this type of disorder. Scientists have observed that administering ROCK protein inhibitor to mice suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or lupus reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17 and IL-21, and significantly improves disease symptoms.
According to the authors of the study, the ROCK2 protein seems to be a good target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, although it obviously requires further detailed research.