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Gupta S, Yamada E, Nakamura H, Perez P, Pranzatelli TJ, Dominick K, Jang SI, Abed M, Martin D, Burbelo P, Zheng C, French B, Alevizos I, Khavandgar Z, Beach M, Pelayo E, Walitt B, Hasni S, Kaplan MJ, Tandon M, Magone MT, Kleiner DE, Chiorini JA, Baer A, Warner BM. Inhibition of JAK-STAT pathway corrects salivary gland inflammation and interferon driven immune activation in Sjögren's disease. Ann Rheum Dis 2024; 83:1034-1047. [PMID: 38527764 PMCID: PMC11250564 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2023-224842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Inflammatory cytokines that signal through the Janus kinases-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway, especially interferons (IFNs), are implicated in Sjögren's disease (SjD). Although inhibition of JAKs is effective in other autoimmune diseases, a systematic investigation of IFN-JAK-STAT signalling and the effect of JAK inhibitor (JAKi) therapy in SjD-affected human tissues has not been fully investigated. METHODS Human minor salivary glands (MSGs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were investigated using bulk or single-cell (sc) RNA sequencing (RNAseq), immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy and flow cytometry. Ex vivo culture assays on PBMCs and primary salivary gland epithelial cell (pSGEC) lines were performed to model changes in target tissues before and after JAKi. RESULTS RNAseq and IF showed activated JAK-STAT pathway in SjD MSGs. Elevated IFN-stimulated gene (ISGs) expression associated with clinical variables (eg, focus scores, anti-SSA positivity). scRNAseq of MSGs exhibited cell type-specific upregulation of JAK-STAT and ISGs; PBMCs showed similar trends, including markedly upregulated ISGs in monocytes. Ex vivo studies showed elevated basal pSTAT levels in SjD MSGs and PBMCs that were corrected with JAKi. SjD-derived pSGECs exhibited higher basal ISG expressions and exaggerated responses to IFN-β, which were normalised by JAKi without cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS SjD patients' tissues exhibit increased expression of ISGs and activation of the JAK-STAT pathway in a cell type-dependent manner. JAKi normalises this aberrant signalling at the tissue level and in PBMCs, suggesting a putative viable therapy for SjD, targeting both glandular and extraglandular symptoms. Predicated on these data, a phase Ib/IIa randomised controlled trial to treat SjD with tofacitinib was initiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Gupta
- Lupus Clinical Trials Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Eiko Yamada
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Adeno-Associated Virus Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Paola Perez
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Thomas Jf Pranzatelli
- Adeno-Associated Virus Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kalie Dominick
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shyh-Ing Jang
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mehdi Abed
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel Martin
- Genomics and Computational Biology Core, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter Burbelo
- Genomics and Computational Biology Core, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - ChangYu Zheng
- Genomics and Computational Biology Core, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ben French
- Adeno-Associated Virus Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ilias Alevizos
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Zohreh Khavandgar
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Margaret Beach
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Eileen Pelayo
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Walitt
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarfaraz Hasni
- Lupus Clinical Trials Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mariana J Kaplan
- Lupus Clinical Trials Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Systemic Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mayank Tandon
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Maria Teresa Magone
- Consult Services Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David E Kleiner
- Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John A Chiorini
- Adeno-Associated Virus Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alan Baer
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Blake M Warner
- Salivary Disorder Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- NIDCR Sjögren's Disease Clinic, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Siminea N, Czeizler E, Popescu VB, Petre I, Păun A. Connecting the dots: Computational network analysis for disease insight and drug repurposing. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 88:102881. [PMID: 38991238 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Network biology is a powerful framework for studying the structure, function, and dynamics of biological systems, offering insights into the balance between health and disease states. The field is seeing rapid progress in all of its aspects: data availability, network synthesis, network analytics, and impactful applications in medicine and drug development. We review the most recent and significant results in network biomedicine, with a focus on the latest data, analytics, software resources, and applications in medicine. We also discuss what in our view are the likely directions of impactful development over the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoleta Siminea
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bucharest, Romania; National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Romania
| | - Eugen Czeizler
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Romania
| | | | - Ion Petre
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Finland; National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Romania.
| | - Andrei Păun
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Bucharest, Romania; National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Romania.
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Zhou X, Xu D, Li M, Zeng X. New investigational drugs to treat Sjogren's syndrome: lessons learnt from immunology. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024; 33:105-114. [PMID: 38293750 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2312216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sjögren's syndrome is a heterogeneous autoimmune condition that impairs quality of life because of dryness, fatigue, pain, and systemic involvements. Current treatment largely depends on empirical evidence, with no effective therapy approved. Clinical trials on targeted drugs often fail to report efficacy due to common factors. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes the pathogenesis and what caused the failure of new investigational drugs in clinical trials, highlighting solutions for more effective investigations, with greater consistency between research outcomes, clinical use, and patient needs. EXPERT OPINION Unlinked pathobiology with symptoms resulted in misidentified targets and disappointing trials. Useful stratification tools are necessary for the heterogeneous SS patients. Composite endpoints or improvements in ESSDAI scores are needed, considering the high placebo response, and the unbalance between symptom burden and disease activity. Compared to classic biologics, targeted cell therapy will be a more promising field of investigation in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Zhou
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID), Ministry of Science & Technology, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Xu
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID), Ministry of Science & Technology, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Mengtao Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID), Ministry of Science & Technology, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zeng
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases (NCRC-DID), Ministry of Science & Technology, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
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