Every day, scientists work toward the advancement ofrheumatoid arthritis(RA)treatment. And Dr. C. Michael Stein has made an exciting new discovery that could help these advancements along and predict how specific treatments will work.
Dr. Stein is looking at small molecules that have the potential to cause big problems. His 5-year Arthritis Foundation-funded project, “Extracellular small RNAs in rheumatoid arthritis研究人员正在研究血液中的核糖核酸(RNA)小分子如何成为不同疾病的标记物。
“我们的身体制造RNA作为遗传信使，告诉细胞制造哪些蛋白质，”斯坦博士解释说。“在血液中发现的非常小的RNA片段太小，无法编码蛋白质。[科学家]认为这些小rna只是垃圾。最近，科学家们了解到这些小RNA分子实际上是许多生物过程的重要调控因子。”
“Recent information also shows that the type and amount of different small RNAs is different in various diseases,” Dr. Stein continued. “In other words, they could provide a ‘fingerprint’ that identifies a particular disease or even a particular complication of a disease.”
Dr. Stein and his team are looking at the small RNAs found in patients with RA. They would like to see if some small RNAs are associated with more active RA. For the first (pilot) part of this study, which began in early 2016, the team looked at the small RNA profiles of 12 RA patients and compared them to those found in 12 lupus (SLE) patients, as well as 12 healthy people (controls). They found differences in the small RNA profiles of each group. They also discovered the small RNAs were linked to disease-related pathways.
研究结果令人鼓舞，因此今年该团队将继续研究来自其他RA和对照组患者的小RNA谱。到2019年，斯坦博士和他的团队计划研究开始接受新治疗的RA患者，看看药物反应是否会改变小RNA图谱。这项研究的概念及其快速进展的重要因素是他的合作研究人员米歇尔·奥姆塞斯博士(研究小rna的风湿病学家)、凯西·维克斯博士(小rna生物学领域的主要专家之一)以及一个才华横溢的生物信息学小组的贡献。
斯坦博士解释说:“小rna不仅是标记物，它们还负责调节疾病的一些影响，有可能通过靶向小rna开发出新的疾病治疗方法。”“We are interested in seeing if the small RNA profiles of particular patients with RA predict whether or not they will respond to a particular treatment.”
Scientists have recently discovered that about half of the small RNAs in the blood are non-human (from bacteria). “Nothing is known about these in RA. We want to find out if the profile of the non-human small RNAs is different in patients with RA and whether they might contribute to making RA better or worse,” Dr. Stein said.
Dr. Stein has been a supporter of the Arthritis Foundation for many years, taking part regularly in theWalk to Cure Arthritis. He describes his current project as high-risk with the potential of high rewards. “The Arthritis Foundation has been a champion of such studies that otherwise would be difficult to undertake,” he explained.
Dr. Stein said that his interest in RA stems from years of treating patients with the disease. “I have treated many patients with RA and appreciate the impact it has had on many people’s lives. There have been great advances, even since I started practicing in the 1980s. But I wish we could do more for our patients.”
Dr. Stein is the Dan May Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, associate director of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, and director of the fellowship program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. His work focuses on inflammation and cardiovascular disease (RA, SLE, and atherosclerosis).
Related Resources:
- Arthritis Foundation: Path to a Cure
- Researchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Salah Ahmed
- Researchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Rae Yeung
- Researchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Bruce Cronstein