Arthritis affects almost 2% of the world’s population or some 150 million people, and currently, there is no completely effective treatment for this chronic disease.
In a new study, researchers developed a new molecule that has been shown to have strong therapeutic effects.
It could suppress the inflammatory process, reducing both inflammation and joint tissue wear and tear. It also could lower pain and swelling effectively.
The study showed that this new molecule is capable of controlling the most severe manifestations of the disease.
The research was conducted by a team at São Leopoldo Mandic College.
The new molecule is called TPPU. Its function is the inhibition of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), an enzyme that plays a key role in activating inflammatory processes and can lead to chronic inflammation.
According to the team, the treatment also reduced the degree of pain associated with inflammation.
This was because control of the inflammatory process led to a decrease in the migration of white blood cells to the affected region, not just attenuating the disease but reducing cartilage erosion.
In addition, the treated group showed an increase in the number of regulatory T-cells, lymphocytes that produce anti-inflammatory cytokines, and a decrease in the number of Th17 defense cells, which are highly inflammatory.
The team says TPPU was designed to be well tolerated and easily absorbed when administered orally.
It boosts the body’s natural defenses and increases the number of metabolites our organism produces. This is a great advantage over conventional treatments based on large doses of corticosteroids, which have adverse side effects.
Besides the excellent anti-inflammatory effect, TPPU also has a strong analgesic effect.
One author of the study is Henrique Napimoga.
The study is published in The FASEB Journal.
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