Study Details Process Involved in Inflammatory Resolution
September 8, 2006
For those who study inflammation, the name of the game has been initiation. How does the immune system initiate the inflammatory process? And, more to the point therapeutically, is it possible to develop treatments that intervene in the process for those with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and periodontal disease? In recent years, however, the gameplan has expanded considerably with the discovery that inflammation is “self limiting.” Or, in more lay terms, like logging off a computer, the process also involves circuitry that naturally shuts down and resolves the inflammation. Among the signals passed along this anti-inflammatory circuitry are those mediated by a group of compounds called resolvins. In the August 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, NIDCR grantees and colleagues add a new layer of detail into how specifically the resolvin called RvE1 is inactivated. The researchers also report developing a stable analog of RvE1 that was as potent as the natural compound in reducing the infiltration of immune cells that are known to be present in uncontrolled inflammation. The authors noted that the RvE1 analog will be a useful tool in further dissecting the resolution process and, hopefully, design targeted treatments to help people with disorders of aberrant inflammation.