Serum profile of transferrin isoforms in rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological drugs

Targeting Ferroptosis in Bone-Related Diseases: Facts and Perspectives

Ferroptosis is a new cell fate decision discovered in recent years. Unlike apoptosis, autophagy or pyroptosis, ferroptosis is characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and mitochondrial morphological changes. Ferroptosis is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Since its discovery, ferroptosis has been increasingly studied concerning bone-related diseases. In this review, we focus on the latest research progress and prospects, summarize the regulatory mechanisms of ferroptosis, and discuss the role of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of bone-related diseases, such as osteoporosis (OP), osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteosarcoma (OS), as well as its therapeutic potential.

Pharmacogenomics of Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Precision medicine refers to a highly individualized and personalized approach to patient care. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how an individual’s genomic profile affects their drug response, enabling stable and effective drug selection, minimizing side effects, and maximizing therapeutic efficacy. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation in the joints. It mainly starts in peripheral joints, such as the hands and feet, and progresses to large joints, which causes joint deformation and bone damage due to inflammation of the synovial membrane. Here, we review various pharmacogenetic studies investigating the association between clinical response to monoclonal antibody therapy and their target genetic polymorphisms. Numerous papers have reported that some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are related to the therapeutic response of several monoclonal antibody drugs including adalimumab, infliximab, rituximab, and tocilizumab, which target tumor necrosis factor (TNF), CD20 of B-cells, and interleukin (IL)-6. Additionally, there are some pharmacogenomic studies reporting on the association between the clinical response of monoclonal antibodies having various mechanisms, such as IL-1, IL-17, IL-23, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) inhibition. Biological therapies are currently prescribed on a “trial and error” basis for RA patients. If appropriate drug treatment is not started early, joints may deform, and long-term treatment outcomes may worsen. Pharmacogenomic approaches that predict therapeutic responses for RA patients have the potential to significantly improve patient quality of life and reduce treatment costs.

Hyaluronan and the Fascial Frontier

The buzz about hyaluronan (HA) is real. Whether found in face cream to increase water volume loss and viscoelasticity or injected into the knee to restore the properties of synovial fluid, the impact of HA can be recognized in many disciplines from dermatology to orthopedics. HA is the most abundant polysaccharide of the extracellular matrix of connective tissues. HA can impact cell behavior in specific ways by binding cellular HA receptors, which can influence signals that facilitate cell survival, proliferation, adhesion, as well as migration. Characteristics of HA, such as its abundance in a variety of tissues and its responsiveness to chemical, mechanical and hormonal modifications, has made HA an attractive molecule for a wide range of applications. Despite being discovered over 80 years ago, its properties within the world of fascia have only recently received attention. Our fascial system penetrates and envelopes all organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibers, providing the body with a functional structure and an environment that enables all bodily systems to operate in an integrated manner. Recognized interactions between cells and their HA-rich extracellular microenvironment support the importance of studying the relationship between HA and the body’s fascial system. From fasciacytes to chronic pain, this review aims to highlight the connections between HA and fascial health.

Non-Enzymatic Glycation of Transferrin and Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar. Its complications may damage multiple organs, such as eyes, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, and nerves, severely threatening human health. Transferrin (Tf) is a major iron transport protein in the body. Recent studies have shown that the degree of non-enzymatic glycated modification of Tf is increased in diabetic patients, and glycated Tf is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetes and diabetic complications. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this glycated modification in diabetes and diabetic complications are still unclear. It is speculated that the mechanism may be that glycated modification reduces the binding ability of Tf and its receptor TfR, followed by excessive iron accumulation in the body. Iron overload in the body may further lead to the death of pancreatic beta cells and insulin resistance by increasing oxidative stress, inducing iron death, interfering with the insulin signaling pathway, and causing autophagy deficiency. In addition, non-enzymatic glycation affects the binding of Tf with chromium and reduces the ability of Tf to transport chromium into tissues, resulting in a decrease in the levels of chromium in tissues and ultimately affecting the sensitivity of tissues to insulin. In diabetic patients, the concentrations of glycated Tf in serum were significantly correlated with those of fructosamine.Tf has a shorter half-life, and not affected by anemia or hypoalbuminemia and less negative charge under physiological conditions, while glycated modification could not change the isoelectric point of Tf, which easily passes through the negatively charged basement membrane of the glomerulus. Therefore, compared to glucosamine, HbA1C, etc., glycated Tf may be a future biomarker for evaluating short-term glycemic control and early renal damage in diabetic patients.