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Sharma SD, Bluett J. Towards Personalized Medicine in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Open Access Rheumatol 2024; 16:89-114. [PMID: 38779469 PMCID: PMC11110814 DOI: 10.2147/oarrr.s372610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, incurable, multisystem, inflammatory disease characterized by synovitis and extra-articular features. Although several advanced therapies targeting inflammatory mechanisms underlying the disease are available, no advanced therapy is universally effective. Therefore, a ceiling of treatment response is currently accepted where no advanced therapy is superior to another. The current challenge for medical research is the discovery and integration of predictive markers of drug response that can be used to personalize medicine so that the patient is started on "the right drug at the right time". This review article summarizes our current understanding of predicting response to anti-rheumatic drugs in RA, obstacles impeding the development of personalized medicine approaches and future research priorities to overcome these barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema D Sharma
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal & Dermatological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - James Bluett
- Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, Division of Musculoskeletal & Dermatological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Hageman I, Mol F, Atiqi S, Joustra V, Sengul H, Henneman P, Visman I, Hakvoort T, Nurmohamed M, Wolbink G, Levin E, Li Yim AY, D’Haens G, de Jonge WJ. Novel DNA methylome biomarkers associated with adalimumab response in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1303231. [PMID: 38187379 PMCID: PMC10771853 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aims Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are currently treated with biological agents mostly aimed at cytokine blockade, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). Currently, there are no biomarkers to predict therapy response to these agents. Here, we aimed to predict response to adalimumab (ADA) treatment in RA patients using DNA methylation in peripheral blood (PBL). Methods DNA methylation profiling on whole peripheral blood from 92 RA patients before the start of ADA treatment was determined using Illumina HumanMethylationEPIC BeadChip array. After 6 months, treatment response was assessed according to the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) criteria for disease activity. Patients were classified as responders (Disease Activity Score in 28 Joints (DAS28) < 3.2 or decrease of 1.2 points) or as non-responders (DAS28 > 5.1 or decrease of less than 0.6 points). Machine learning models were built through stability-selected gradient boosting to predict response prior to ADA treatment with predictor DNA methylation markers. Results Of the 94 RA patients, we classified 49 and 43 patients as responders and non-responders, respectively. We were capable of differentiating responders from non-responders with a high performance (area under the curve (AUC) 0.76) using a panel of 27 CpGs. These classifier CpGs are annotated to genes involved in immunological and pathophysiological pathways related to RA such as T-cell signaling, B-cell pathology, and angiogenesis. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the DNA methylome of PBL provides discriminative capabilities in discerning responders and non-responders to ADA treatment and may therefore serve as a tool for therapy prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtu Hageman
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Femke Mol
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sadaf Atiqi
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Vincent Joustra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hilal Sengul
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter Henneman
- Genome Diagnostics Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Visman
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Theodorus Hakvoort
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mike Nurmohamed
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gertjan Wolbink
- Department of Rheumatology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Evgeni Levin
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Horaizon BV, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Andrew Y.F. Li Yim
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Genome Diagnostics Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Geert D’Haens
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wouter J. de Jonge
- Tytgat Institute for Liver and Intestinal Research, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Surgery, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Wang SS, Lewis MJ, Pitzalis C. DNA Methylation Signatures of Response to Conventional Synthetic and Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1987. [PMID: 37509625 PMCID: PMC10377185 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex condition that displays heterogeneity in disease severity and response to standard treatments between patients. Failure rates for conventional, target synthetic, and biologic disease-modifying rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are significant. Although there are models for predicting patient response, they have limited accuracy, require replication/validation, or for samples to be obtained through a synovial biopsy. Thus, currently, there are no prediction methods approved for routine clinical use. Previous research has shown that genetics and environmental factors alone cannot explain the differences in response between patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of RA. Importantly, specific DNA methylation profiles associated with response to conventional, target synthetic, and biologic DMARDs have been found in the blood of RA patients and could potentially function as predictive biomarkers. This review will summarize and evaluate the evidence for DNA methylation signatures in treatment response mainly in blood but also learn from the progress made in the diseased tissue in cancer in comparison to RA and autoimmune diseases. We will discuss the benefits and challenges of using DNA methylation signatures as predictive markers and the potential for future progress in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Siyu Wang
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NIHR BRC & NHS Trust, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Myles J Lewis
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NIHR BRC & NHS Trust, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Costantino Pitzalis
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NIHR BRC & NHS Trust, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
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Adams C, Nair N, Plant D, Verstappen SMM, Quach HL, Quach DL, Carvidi A, Nititham J, Nakamura M, Graf J, Barton A, Criswell LA, Barcellos LF. Identification of Cell-Specific Differential DNA Methylation Associated With Methotrexate Treatment Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2023; 75:1088-1097. [PMID: 36716083 PMCID: PMC10313739 DOI: 10.1002/art.42464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We undertook this study to estimate changes in cell-specific DNA methylation (DNAm) associated with methotrexate (MTX) response using whole blood samples collected from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients before and after initiation of MTX treatment. METHODS Patients included in this study were from the Rheumatoid Arthritis Medication Study (n = 66) and the University of California San Francisco Rheumatoid Arthritis study (n = 11). All patients met the American College of Rheumatology RA classification criteria. Blood samples were collected at baseline and following treatment. Disease Activity Scores in 28 joints using the C-reactive protein level were collected at baseline and after 3-6 months of treatment with MTX. Methylation profiles were generated using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 and MethylationEPIC v1.0 BeadChip arrays using DNA from whole blood. MTX response was defined using the EULAR response criteria (responders showed good/moderate response; nonresponders showed no response). Differentially methylated positions were identified using the Limma software package and Tensor Composition Analysis, which is a method for identifying cell-specific differential DNAm at the CpG level from tissue-level ("bulk") data. Differentially methylated regions were identified using Comb-p software. RESULTS We found evidence of differential global methylation between treatment response groups. Further, we found patterns of cell-specific differential global methylation associated with MTX response. After correction for multiple testing, 1 differentially methylated position was associated with differential DNAm between responders and nonresponders at baseline in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer cells. Thirty-nine cell-specific differentially methylated regions associated with MTX treatment response were identified. There were no significant findings in analyses of whole blood samples. CONCLUSION We identified cell-specific changes in DNAm that were associated with MTX treatment response in RA patients. Future studies of DNAm and MTX treatment response should include measurements of DNAm from sorted cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Adams
- School of Public Health, University of CaliforniaBerkeley
| | - Nisha Nair
- Centre of Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Darren Plant
- Centre of Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, NIHR Manchester BRC, Manchester University Foundation Trust, The University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Suzanne M. M. Verstappen
- NIHR Manchester BRC, Manchester University Foundation Trust, and Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, Division of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, and NIHR Newcastle BRC, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Hong L. Quach
- School of Public Health, University of CaliforniaBerkeley
| | - Diana L. Quach
- School of Public Health, University of CaliforniaBerkeley
| | | | - Joanne Nititham
- National Human Genome Research Institute, NIHBethesdaMaryland
| | - Mary Nakamura
- University of California and San Francisco Veterans Administration Health SystemSan FranciscoCalifornia
| | | | - Anne Barton
- Centre of Genetics and Genomics Versus Arthritis, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, NIHR Manchester BRC, Manchester University Foundation Trust, The University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | | | - Lisa F. Barcellos
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, and National Human Genome Research Institute, NIHBethesdaMaryland
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Seropositivity-Dependent Association between LINE-1 Methylation and Response to Methotrexate Therapy in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13112012. [DOI: 10.3390/genes13112012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is considered the first choice among disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. However, response to it varies as approximately 40% of the patients do not respond and would lose the most effective period of treatment time. Therefore, having a predictive biomarker before starting MTX treatment is of utmost importance. Methylation of long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) is generally considered a surrogate marker for global genomic methylation, which has been reported to associate with disease activity after MTX therapy. Methods: We performed a prospective study on 273 naïve early RA (ERA) patients who were treated with MTX, followed up to 12 months, and classified according to their therapy response. The baseline LINE-1 methylation levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of cases were assessed by bisulfite pyrosequencing. Results: Baseline LINE-1 methylation level per se turned out not to predict the response to the therapy, nor did age, sex, body mass index, or smoking status. However, if cases were stratified according to positivity to rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) or seronegativity, we observed an opposite association between baseline LINE-1 methylation levels and optimal response to MTX therapy among responders. The best response to MTX therapy was associated with hypermethylated LINE-1 among double-positive ERA cases (p-value: 0.002) and with hypomethylated LINE-1 in seronegative ERA patients (p-value: 0.01). Conclusion: The LINE-1 methylation level in PBMCs of naïve ERA cases associates with the degree of response to MTX therapy in an opposite way depending on the presence of RF and ACPA antibodies. Our results suggest LINE-1 methylation level as a new epigenetic biomarker for predicting the degree of response to MTX in both double-positive and seronegative ERA patients.
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-Omic Approaches and Treatment Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081648. [PMID: 36015273 PMCID: PMC9412998 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disorder characterized by an aberrant activation of innate and adaptive immune cells. There are different drugs used for the management of RA, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). However, a significant percentage of RA patients do not initially respond to DMARDs. This interindividual variation in drug response is caused by a combination of environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors. In this sense, recent -omic studies have evidenced different molecular signatures involved in this lack of response. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of the potential role of -omic approaches, specifically genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, to identify molecular biomarkers to predict the clinical efficacy of therapies currently used in this disorder. Despite the great effort carried out in recent years, to date, there are still no validated biomarkers of response to the drugs currently used in RA. -Omic studies have evidenced significant differences in the molecular profiles associated with treatment response for the different drugs used in RA as well as for different cell types. Therefore, global and cell type-specific -omic studies analyzing response to the complete therapeutical arsenal used in RA, including less studied therapies, such as sarilumab and JAK inhibitors, are greatly needed.
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Marx N, Eisenhut P, Weinguny M, Klanert G, Borth N. How to train your cell - Towards controlling phenotypes by harnessing the epigenome of Chinese hamster ovary production cell lines. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 56:107924. [PMID: 35149147 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in omics technologies and the broad availability of big datasets have revolutionized our understanding of Chinese hamster ovary cells in their role as the most prevalent host for production of complex biopharmaceuticals. In consequence, our perception of this "workhorse of the biopharmaceutical industry" has successively shifted from that of a nicely working, but unknown recombinant protein producing black box to a biological system governed by multiple complex regulatory layers that might possibly be harnessed and manipulated at will. Despite the tremendous progress that has been made to characterize CHO cells on various omics levels, our understanding is still far from complete. The well-known inherent genetic plasticity of any immortalized and rapidly dividing cell line also characterizes CHO cells and can lead to problematic instability of recombinant protein production. While the high mutational frequency has been a focus of CHO cell research for decades, the impact of epigenetics and its role in differential gene expression has only recently been addressed. In this review we provide an overview about the current understanding of epigenetic regulation in CHO cells and discuss its significance for shaping the cell's phenotype. We also look into current state-of-the-art technology that can be applied to harness and manipulate the epigenetic network so as to nudge CHO cells towards a specific phenotype. Here, we revise current strategies on site-directed integration and random as well as targeted epigenome modifications. Finally, we address open questions that need to be investigated to exploit the full repertoire of fine-tuned control of multiplexed gene expression using epigenetic and systems biology tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Marx
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Eisenhut
- Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Weinguny
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerald Klanert
- Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Borth
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Austrian Centre for Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, Vienna, Austria.
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