A UCL study has identified potential new avenues for therapies for children and young people with arthritis.
The team identified specific cell proteins within the inflamed joints of young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) which could be driving the condition.
The team, supported by the BRC, said, with further investigation, targeting these proteins with therapies could help tackle the condition.
JIA is an autoimmune condition in which inflammation in the body leads to painful swollen joints.
The inflammation is a result of the body’s immune cells mistakenly attacking healthy cells in the body.
The study team, led by Dr Anne Pesenacker from the UCL Division of Infection and Immunity, used advanced technology called spectral flow cytometry to look at many more proteins on various cells from individuals with JIA than have been analysed before.
The team were able to identify new, specific cell profiles within the joints, but not blood, of young people with JIA which could cause damage in the joint based on the proteins they express.
Dr Pesenacker said: “Our findings suggest potential new targets to guide future drug development in JIA. Ultimately, we hope this may help to stop the inflammation in the joint, without the side effects of current therapies that can alter the whole body.”
The study is published in the December 2024 issue of the journal Clinical and Experimental Immunology.
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