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ARTICLE | Clinical News

Animal data link sclerostin inhibition to joint destruction

March 18, 2016 12:42 AM UTC

A team from the University Hospital Muenster published animal data in Science Translational Medicine that show sclerostin inhibition promotes TNF-dependent joint destruction. In human TNF alpha transgenic (hTNFtg) mice, antibody-mediated inhibition of sclerostin led to an acceleration of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-like disease. Sclerostin is a protein secreted by osteocytes that inhibits bone formation.

The researchers said sclerostin blocked TNF alpha-induced activation of p38, which they said is a key step in arthritis development. However, sclerostin did not block interleukin-1 (IL-1)-induced activation of p38, suggesting that sclerostin has a protective role in TNF-mediated chronic inflammation. ...