Aberrant epigenetics in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Abstract

Reduced activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) was observed in both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). This was the first study that disclosed aberrant epigenetics in RA and OA. However, with limited sample size, such interesting findings need to be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients. HDAC inhibitors appear to be a therapeutic strategy for RA although they may not alter the disease progression of OA. Therefore, reduced HDAC activity might not contribute to the pathogenesis of RA and OA. As HDAC inhibitors were originally designed for oncological indications, they might not be well tolerated in long-term RA therapy. Thus, it is important to discover the molecular therapeutic mechanisms of HDAC inhibitors in RA. This is in the hope that, with a better understanding of the antirheumatic mechanisms, new generations of HDAC inhibitors with better specificities and safety profiles could be developed for the management of RA. © 2007 Future Medicine Ltd.