RA Drugs Hold Promise for MS

Greg Williams writing in the UAB News reported that UAB researchers feel that a new class of drugs for rheumatoid arthritis may be useful for treating multiple sclerosis. The findings are timely because STATs are part of the JAK-STAT pathway targeted by a new class of JAK inhibitors, the first of which are expected to finish clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and seek regulatory approval this year. Such drugs should be considered for the treatment of MS, say the authors, who already are conducting pre-clinical studies. STAT3-signaling is known to activate microglia and onocytes, the immune cells of the brain and macrophage scavengers that collect and dispose of damaged tissue or invading bacteria.

They can promote either injury or repair in the central nervous system, depending on the signals they get.

Comment: You’ll be hearing a lot about this RA treatment in the coming months.