Anti-diabetic drugs for treatment of arthritis

Oral anti-diabetic drugs display suppressive effects on arthritis. The goals of our study are to identify the mechanism how anti-diabetic drugs exert their anti-arthritis effects. We hypothesized that these anti-diabetic drugs alter gut microbiota composite which in turn regulates immune response to attenuate the inflammation in arthritis. These anti-diabetic drugs, in particular acarbose which is non-absorbable by the gut and has a profound impact on gut microbiota composite may be useful for maintenance of clinical remission of arthritis by restore the normal status of gut microbiome.