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Chaperonin 10: Early Evidence of Efficacy in Rheumatoid Arthritis
This new therapeutic approach might offer relief for patients with treatment-resistant RA.
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are inflammatory mediators that are highly expressed in synovial tissue. Chaperonin 10 (also known as heat-shock protein 10) — a mitochondrial protein that inhibits TLRs — might have therapeutic potential in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this multicenter, industry-sponsored study, researchers in Australia randomized 23 patients with at least 6 months of active, treatment-resistant RA to receive intravenous recombinant chaperonin 10 (5 mg, 7.5 mg, or 10 mg twice weekly for 12 weeks). Most patients also took stable doses of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and prednisone.
RA disease activity scores improved significantly by day 14 in all three groups and continued to improve throughout the full 12 weeks of therapy. Several secondary clinical endpoints (e.g., counts of swollen and tender joints) improved significantly in the 10-mg group and nonsignificantly in the lower-dose groups. Most adverse reactions were mild or moderate.
Comment: Despite the small number of patients, short study duration, and absence of a placebo comparison group, these results provide initial evidence of the safety and efficacy of chaperonin 10 for treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis. Longer placebo-controlled trials should follow.
— Bruce Soloway, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine October 10, 2006
Citation(s):
Vanags D et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chaperonin 10 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A double-blind randomised trial. Lancet 2006 Sep 2; 368:855-63.
- Medline abstract (Free)