Arthritic diseases: melanocortin type 3 receptor agonists as potential therapeutics

Gouty arthritis is currently treated with drugs that have an array of side effects. Therefore, identification of novel endogenous targets for drug development may have beneficial properties ACTH4-10, a heptapeptide fragment derived from the hormone adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) modulates the inflammatory response in a corticosterone-independent manner, via agonism at melanocortin type 3 receptors (MC3-R) expressed on peritoneal macrophages. MC3-R agonists inhibit cytokine formation and subsequent neutrophil migration, while antagonists abrogate these effects. Together, these data highlight MC3-R as a potential therapeutic target and suggest that small molecule agonists directed at MC3-R with more specific actions, may be potentially novel therapeutics for treating this pathology.