Found the 'Recovery Gene' for Arthritis

Illustration = Irasutoya.com

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Domestic researchers have identified a gene that treats arthritis, which repeatedly relapses and improves. It is expected to contribute to developing a method to naturally treat arthritis without impairing immune function.

The National Research Foundation of Korea announced on the 28th that a research team led by Professor Kim Wan-wook of the Catholic University College of Medicine identified a gene that aids arthritis recovery and suggested its potential as a biomarker to monitor arthritis recovery. The research results were published in the international basic medical journals Journal of Clinical Investigation and Nature Reviews Rheumatology.

Arthritis: Found 3 Major Recovery Genes

Confirmation of Therapeutic Effect of Iwatsu (Ywhaz) Gene in Arthritis-Induced Mice

The research team succeeded in identifying key genes involved in the relapse and improvement of arthritis. The team obtained joint tissues from mice that had severe arthritis but naturally recovered, then initially screened 85 significant candidate genes whose expression increased or decreased according to arthritis symptoms from over 30,000 genes.

Subsequently, through immunological experiments, they successfully identified three key genes?Integrin (Itgb1), RPS3, and Ywhaz?that had not previously been associated with arthritis. These genes were mainly expressed or secreted in joint tissues where arthritis had improved and in immune cells involved in inflammation suppression (regulatory T cells), inducing the production of anti-inflammatory substances. This indicates that they are produced during severe arthritis and act to promote arthritis recovery.

Among them, when the Ywhaz gene was injected into the joints of mice with rheumatoid arthritis, a significant improvement in arthritis was observed. Additionally, analysis of Ywhaz concentration in the urine of 65 rheumatoid arthritis patients showed that patients with good drug responsiveness had increased Ywhaz levels after administration of anti-rheumatic drugs compared to before administration. However, in patients without such responsiveness, Ywhaz levels decreased.

A Treatment Target with Few Side Effects

Professor Kim Wan-wook (left), Researcher Gong Jin-seon

The research team focused on the fact that Ywhaz is secreted during the natural recovery process of arthritis without therapeutic drugs and shows therapeutic effects, expecting it to be used as a treatment target with few side effects and as a biomarker to predict recovery in the future.

The team stated, "This study is the first to demonstrate how arthritis can naturally heal itself within the human body," adding, "The extensive data derived from this research will provide a platform for identifying key factors that drive worsening and recovery in various types of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis." They further explained, "These data can be utilized by other researchers as foundational material to study the pathogenesis and select treatment targets for various inflammatory diseases beyond arthritis?such as enteritis, pneumonia, and hepatitis."

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