BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 α kinase 4 (EIF2AK4; GCN2)

October 8, 2015 7:00 AM UTC

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest promoting EIF2AK4 activity could help treat lupus. In a mouse model of lupus, macrophage-specific knockout of EIF2AK4 increased numbers of spleen cells, spleen levels of inflammatory cytokines, serum levels of antibodies targeting double-stranded DNA (dsDNA antibodies) and other disease markers, and decreased survival. Also in the model, halofuginone, a compound that promotes EIF2AK4 activity, decreased serum levels of dsDNA antibodies compared with vehicle. Next steps could include testing EIF2AK4 activators in other models of lupus...