Potential Therapy for Inflammatory Diseases

A new drug target has been discovered for the potential treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

The drug target, called DT0221, is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) of the chemokine subfamily and is expressed on a number of leukocyte subsets, including those that serve as effector cells in inflammatory responses. Experimental studies indicate that antagonism of DT0221, as modeled in knockout mice, may treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In this model, mice were challenged with monoclonal antibodies against type II collagen, a challenge known to induce an inflammatory response. Control mice showed a severe inflammatory response in the joints as well as bone and cartilage destruction. In contrast, female mice, in which the gene responsible for DT0221 was knocked out, were completely resistant to joint inflammation induced by the antibody challenge.

The drug target was discovered by scientists at Deltagen, Inc. (Redwood City, CA, USA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on in vivo mammalian gene function information. Deltagen has drug discovery programs in oncology, metabolic disorders, and inflammatory diseases.

"Using our systems biology approach, we believe we have identified a novel target that has potential clinical applications in a variety of important inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis,” said Mark Moore, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Deltagen.




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