CD73 in Autoimmune Arthritis

Adenosine is a potent anti-inflammatory molecule that plays an important role in many diseases. Extracellular levels of adenosine are determined by a combination of membrane transporters and ecto-nucleotidases such as CD73. Therapeutic targeting of the adenosinergic pathway, such as administration of adenosine receptor agonists, could be a valuable approach in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Until recently, the role of CD73 in RA pathogenesis had not been established. Using CD73-deficient gene-targeted mice, we demonstrated that CD73 plays a critical protective role in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Our findings, together with the results of recently published human studies, thus suggests that enhancement of CD73 activity may be a novel therapeutic approach in RA