CpGs relieve arthritis

Arthritis sufferers might get some therapeutic relief from bacterial nucleic acids that usually goad on inflammation, if results from Wu et al. (page 1911) are any indication. Some of these short CpG repeats (CpGs) are now shown to prevent arthritis progression in a mouse model.

CpGs are well-known proinflammatory molecules that activate dendritic cells (DCs) via toll-like receptor (TLR)-9. The DCs then stimulate T cells and B cells. CpGs are therefore used in the clinic to enhance protection against infections and tumor development. But immune enhancement can be harmful if the response is directed against the host's own antigens. CpGs and other TLR ligands, for example, further disease progression in many mouse arthritis models.

In some mouse models of allergy and asthma, however, CpGs exert a protective role. In...