Experimental Study Shows that Learned Immunosuppressive Placebo Responses Attenuate Disease Progression in a Rat Model of Arthritis
A recent study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology showed that inflammatory symptoms in experimentally induced arthritis in rats are attenuated by using learned immunosuppressive placebo responses. Therapy of chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis requires long lasting if not continuous treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. However, therapy with most small-molecule immunosuppressive drugs commonly induces unwanted […]
Sympathetic Nervous System Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Brief Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition characterized by chronic inflammation occurring locally within the synovial joints and systemically. Accumulating evidence supports an important role of the sympathetic nervous system in the pathophysiology of RA, both as a cause and consequence of inflammation. Acute sympathetic activation results in a shift from a T-helper (Th) 1 […]
Neuroendocrine Immune Implications in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatica: Past and Present Unresolved Issues and Optimising Glucocorticoid Treatment
Editorial Introduction and background The dramatic effects of cortisone and pituitary adrenocortical hormone therapy on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were discovered almost seven decades ago (1) and even longer for the significant disease amelioration during pregnancy as reported by Hench in 1938 (2). However, major questions persist about the underlying adrenocortical and hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) […]
The Cross-talk between the Dopaminergic System and Innate Immunity: An Evolving Concept
Evolving Concept Dopamine (DA) is a well-known neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). An increasing body of evidence, however, indicates that DA is also an important communication mediator at the neural-immune interface [1-3]. Most research and studies to date have put the emphasis on DA and it’s regulation of adaptive immunity. Comparatively little is […]
Norepinephrine through β2-adrenoceptor activation down-regulates pro-inflammatory pathogenic Th17 cells in a rodent model of rheumatoid arthritis
What’s Hot A recent study in Medical Science Monitor indicates that norepinephrine (noradrenaline), the major sympathetic nervous system neurotransmitter, through stimulation of β2-adrenoceptors (AR) is able to suppress the highly pathogenic T helper 17 (Th17) cells and exert anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model of arthritis. In 1986 Mosman et al. discovered the Th1 (mostly […]
Afferent Vagus Nerve Stimulation Activates Brain Locus Coeruleus and Improves Experimental Joint Inflammation
A recent study published in the Brain, Behavior, and Immunity journal indicates, for the first time, that stimulation of vagal afferents or specific brain areas can modulate joint inflammation. This new central pathway involves sympathetic nervous system activation and local stimulation of synovial β-adrenoceptors. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a well-known procedure that limits inflammation and […]
Gut and Gingival Bacteria: Game Changers or Innocent Bystanders in Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Several publications in the last 2-3 years brought more interest in the link between gut and gingival bacteria or microbiota, and human health and diseases, and particularly their possible game changer role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. The human gastrointestinal tract comprises approximately 1014 bacterial microbes and amounts to a biomass of approximately 2 […]
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Inhibits Pathogenic Th17 Cells from Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
A study published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology indicates that in blood from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) shifts the activity of T cells towards a more T regulatory cell phenotype, and reduces the pathogenic profile of T helper (Th)17 cells. The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is well-known for its immunoregulatory […]
Vitamin D Deficiency May Contribute to the Reduction of Sympathetic and Sensory Innervation in Arthritis
A new study published in Neuroscience demonstrates that vitamin D deficiency in experimental animals is related to sensory and sympathetic denervation and reduced neurotrophin levels in the synovium. Several studies have associated vitamin D levels with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development in humans. Thus, low vitamin D levels are documented in patients with active RA. Also […]
New Evidence Suggests Targeting Neuroinflammation May Be One Key to Slowing Alzheimer’s Disease
Posted on August 16, 2016 By Edward Tobinick Commentaries
Commentary on the study by Richard Chou et al. CNS Drugs, 2016 Jul 28. [Epub ahead of print] Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Risk of Alzheimer’sDisease: A Nested Case-Control Analysis Compelling new data published online in the journal CNS Drugs documents a substantial and significant decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in individuals with […]