Enbrel: Rheumatoid arthritis drug could prevent kidney cysts

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Rheumatoid arthritis drug could prevent kidney cysts

www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/GP/LatestNews/817238/Rheumatoid-arthritis-drug-p\

revent-kidney-cysts/

20-Jun-08

Drug offers new hope to patients with polycystic kidney disease.

A drug currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could offer fresh

hope to sufferers of polycystic kidney disease by preventing the formation

of cysts, findings from US studies in mice have shown.

Polycystic kidney disease is the most commonly inherited renal disease and

is estimated to affect one in 800 people.

Currently, there are no treatments to prevent the development of kidney

cysts, which can lead to end-stage renal failure. But new research has shown

that the use of etanercept could halt cyst formation.

Dr Rong Li, from the Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri

and colleagues analysed cyst fluid taken from the kidneys of 10 patients

with polycystic kidney disease, and compared it with fluid from normal

kidneys.

The inflammatory signalling protein tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)

accumulated as high levels in the cystic fluid of patients of polycystic

kidney disease.

To test the effect of TNF-alpha on cyst formation, a group of mice

genetically engineered to have polycystic kidney disease were injected every

week with 0.5 micrograms of TNF-alpha for four weeks.

No cysts were observed in the control mice, but four of the 10 injected

developed cysts. A group of diseased mice were injected with 125 micrograms

weekly of the TNF-alpha inhibitor etanercept. After 10 weeks of treatment,

none of the 50 diseased mice developed any cysts.

Professor Price, an expert in polycystic kidney disease at Kings

College London, said that the research offered 'great promise' to sufferers.

'Patients will benefit greatly from reducing the development of cysts, which

are a leading cause of renal transplants,' Price said.