[Fwd: Inflammation Research]

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Newsgroups: alt.support.arthritis

University of Toronto

UBC researchers find key to reducing inflammation

A protein that reduces inflammation has been discovered by a group of

UBC researchers. The finding, to be reported Friday in the journal

Science, may pave the way for new treatments of chronic inflammatory

diseases such as arthritis, gingivitis, and lung disease.

The Canadian research team led by Prof. Overall at UBC's Faculty

of Dentistry, discovered how one of the natural signals -- MCP-3 -- the

human body uses to turn off inflammation while studying how cancer cells

spread.

" MCP-3 is like a traffic signal with a green and red light that tells

the macrophages -- white blood cells that rid the body of damaged tissue

-- when and where to go, " said Overall.

" Like any accident, it is important to get help, but when everything is

fixed, the body then needs to be told to stop sending more 'ambulances'

to the problem spot, or else things clog up and break down again. "

Overall explains that in chronic diseases like gingivitis or arthritis

something goes wrong with the signals and the flow of white blood cells

continues, leading to chronic inflammation and long-term tissue damage.

Angus McQuibban, a UBC biochemistry doctoral student working in

Overall's lab, discovered a new form of MCP-3 that halts the flow of the

white blood cells. He found that an enzyme called gelatinase made during

inflammation trimmed the end of MCP-3 molecules and led to the new form

of the protein.

McQuibban likens it to shooting out the green light on a traffic signal.

" There is now no more signal. But we had a bigger surprise to find that

not only was the 'green light' removed, but that the 'red light' then

came on. Now the movement of these cells was stopped. "

Tests revealed that there was a 40 per cent reduction in inflammation

when the new form of MCP-3 was administered. Prof. Ian - at

UBC's Biomedical Research Centre synthesized the new form of MCP-3 for

testing by Prof. McCullouch at the University of Toronto's Faculty

of Dentistry.

" What we are trying to do now is to work out how these signals go wrong

in diseases like cancer, arthritis and periodontitis with the hope we

can understand in molecular detail these very complicated processes that

may lead to new drug discoveries, " said Overall.

In the meantime, the new form of MCP-3 has been patented at UBC and is

being evaluated as a new anti-inflammatory drug.