Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered that a molecule produced by immune cells plays a key role in regulating inflammation in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A study published in Science Immunology reports that blood levels of a cytokine found only in primates, known as insulin-like growth factor-like family member 2 (IGFL2), were strongly correlated with disease severity, showing potential as a diagnostic biomarker as well as a therapeutic target.

“We performed single-cell analysis on human samples and successfully identified a cytokine produced specifically by helper T cells that plays a key role in human rheumatoid arthritis pathology,” said Hiroyuki Yoshitomi, PhD, associate professor in the department of immunology at Kyoto University and senior au

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