Genetic glitch in immune cells points to cause of rare severe arthritis
Researchers have identified the first gene linked to psoriatic arthritis mutilans, a devastating form of the disease that destroys small joints. The discovery could enable drug makers to develop targeted treatments for a condition that currently has no specific therapy, addressing an unmet medical need in a rare disease market.
Originaltitel: Rare coding variants in <em>NOX4</em> link high ROS levels to psoriatic arthritis mutilans
<p>Psoriatic arthritis mutilans (PAM) is the rarest and most severe form of psoriatic arthritis, characterized by erosions of the small joints and osteolysis leading to joint disruption. Despite its severity, the underlying mechanisms are unknown, and no susceptibility genes have hitherto been identified. We aimed to investigate the genetic basis of PAM by performing massive parallel sequencing in sixty-one patients from the PAM Nordic cohort. We found rare variants in the NADPH oxidase 4 (<em>NOX4</em>) in four patients. In silico predictions show that the identified variants are potentially damaging. NOXs are the only enzymes producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). NOX4 is specifically involved in the differentiation of osteoclasts, the cells implicated in bone resorption. Functional follow-up studies using cell culture, zebrafish models, and measurement of ROS in patients uncovered that these <em>NOX4</em> variants increase ROS levels both in vitro and in vivo. We propose <em>NOX4</em> as the first candidate susceptibility gene for PAM. Our study links high levels of ROS caused by <em>NOX4</em> variants to the development of PAM, offering a potential therapeutic target.</p>