AUTHOR=Chu Cong-Qiu 

TITLE=Highlights of Strategies Targeting Fibroblasts for Novel Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.846300

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.846300

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Synovial fibroblasts of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) play a critical role in perpetuation of chronic inflammation by interaction with immune and inflammatory cells and in cartilage and bone invasion, but current therapies for RA are not directly acting on fibroblasts. Selectively fibroblast targeted therapy has been hampered because of lack of fibroblast specific biomarkers. Recent advancement in technology enabled us to gain insightful information concerning RA synovial fibroblast subpopulations and functions. Exploring fibroblast targeted therapies have been focused on inducing cell death via fibroblast cell protein; interrupting fibroblast binding to matrix protein; blocking intercellular signaling between fibroblasts and endothelial cells; inhibiting fibroblast proliferation; and modulating fibroblast glucose metabolism. Translation into clinical studies of these fibroblast targeted strategies is required for evaluation for clinical application, in particular for combination therapy with current immune component targeted therapies.