Binding immunoglobulin protein therapy shows promise for rheumatoid arthritis

A promising new approach to treating rheumatoidarthritis using binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) therapy has shown its potential in a new clinical study. Carried out by King's College London and Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Hospital, the research has indicated that BiP-based treatment could represent a useful intervention for patients who have failed to respond to conventional disease-modifying antirheumaticdrugs (DMARDs). How it works BiP belongs to a class of compounds known as human endoplasmic reticulum-resident stress proteins, and has been shown in preclinical studies to offer anti-inflammatory properties. This is a different mode of action compared to DMARDs and other established therapies, meaning it could be of benefit for those who are unable to benefit from treatment with the commonly-used drugs that form the backbone of current therapeutic strategies. For this study, published in the medical journal Rheumatology, 24 patients with activerheumatoid arthritis who had failed treatment with one or more DMARDs were assigned to receive placebo or various doses of BiP as a single intravenous infusion over one hour, prior to a 12-week period of clinical, rheumatological and laboratory assessments. The possible benefits It was shown that patients receiving five mg and 15 mg doses of BiP achieved signs of remission and lower concentrations in their blood of key inflammatory biomarkers. Moreover, no infusion reactions or serious adverse drug reactions w...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news