The study states that researchers discovered a medicine used for treating Type 2 Diabetes, that can
treat autoimmune diseases as well.
Researchers at Swansea University discovered that a medicine frequently used to treat type 2
diabetes might possibly be used to treat autoimmune illnesses.
Academics at the University's Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science have found that the
drug, canagliflozin (also known as Invokana), could be used to treat autoimmune disorders such
as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus as it targets T-cells, which form an
essential component of the immune system. Canagliflozin is a drug that controls blood sugar levels
in people with type 2 diabetes, however researchers have found an unexpected role for the drug
involving the human immune system.
Existing research has reported that targeting T-cell metabolism in autoimmunity can lead to
therapeutic benefits. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that help the body fight infections and
diseases, but in autoimmune diseases they have been observed to attack healthy tissues.
The new study, funded by the Medical Research Council and published today in the journal Cell
Metabolism, found that canagliflozin dampens down T-cell activation, suggesting that the drug
could be repurposed as a treatment for T-cell driven autoimmunity.
Dr Nick Jones, senior author who led the study said: "Our findings are significant as they provide
the foundation for the clinical development of canagliflozin for the treatment of certain
autoimmune diseases. As the drug is already widely used and has a known safety profile in humans,
it could potentially reach clinic quicker than any new drugs developed and bring valuable benefits
more swiftly to patients with autoimmune disorders."
Ben Jenkins, first author and postdoctoral researcher at Swansea said: "Identifying new roles for
drugs that are currently being used in other disease settings is an exciting area of research. Given
that our research primarily targets the metabolism of immune cells, we hope that the potential
therapeutic benefits of our findings are applicable to a wide range of conditions."
The researchers are hopeful that canagliflozin will enter a clinical trial to treat certain autoimmune
disorders in the future. (ANI)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/autoimmune-disorders-can-be-treated-by-type-
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