The Sense of CRP

For a decade, serum C-reactive protein has been the most widely used diagnostic indicator of inflammation associated with multiple diseases. This year Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. hopes to find out whether the protein also is a therapeutic target. The company is planning Phase II trials of second-generation CRP antisense inhibitor ISIS-CRPRx to treat multiple myeloma and rheumatoid arthritis.

C-reactive protein (CRP) rapidly increases in the serum in response to acute injury and infection. By binding its ligands at the site of injury, CRP activates the complement cascade...