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How does infliximab work in rheumatoid arthritis?
Ravinder N Maini1, Marc Feldmann
1The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Division, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London, UK. r.maini@ic.ac.uk
Arthritis Research
|July 12, 2002
Summary
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) plays a key role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Anti-TNF therapies like infliximab offer effective treatment by neutralizing TNFalpha, improving patient outcomes in immune-inflammatory disorders.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) exhibits diverse biological activities.
- TNFalpha is implicated in the pathophysiology of immune-inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn's disease.
- Understanding TNFalpha's role has driven the development of targeted biologic therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of TNFalpha in rheumatoid arthritis.
- To discuss the development and application of anti-TNF agents, specifically infliximab.
- To elucidate the complex pathways involving TNFalpha in RA pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical research and scientific literature.
- Analysis of infliximab's mechanism of action as a chimeric monoclonal antibody.
- Examination of TNFalpha's involvement in cytokine regulation, cell recruitment, angiogenesis, and tissue destruction in RA.
Main Results:
- Infliximab effectively binds and neutralizes TNFalpha.
- Infliximab is approved for treating RA and Crohn's disease.
- Clinical studies confirm the safety and efficacy of infliximab.
Conclusions:
- TNFalpha is a critical mediator in the inflammatory processes of RA.
- Anti-TNF therapy, exemplified by infliximab, is a valuable treatment strategy for RA and other immune-inflammatory conditions.
- Further research continues to uncover TNFalpha-dependent pathways contributing to RA pathology.