ARTICLE | Cover Story
New front against TNF
March 24, 2011 7:00 AM UTC
New York University School of Medicineresearchers have designed a molecule based on the growth factor progranulin that could help treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.1 The team has formed a company, ATreaon, to develop the compound and related analogs.
Previous work has suggested roles for progranulin (PGRN) in cancer,2 inflammation,3 host defense,4 cartilage development and degeneration5 and neurological functions.6,7 However, using or targeting the molecule has been difficult because its receptors remained unknown...