RTD-1 therapeutically normalizes synovial gene signatures in rat autoimmune arthritis and suppresses proinflammatory mediators in RA synovial fibroblasts

Rhesus theta defensin-1 (RTD-1), a macrocyclic immunomodulatory host defense peptide from Old World monkeys, is therapeutic in pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) rat model. RNA-sequence (RNA-seq) analysis was used to interrogate the changes in gene expression in PIA rats diseased model. To, study the anti-arthritic mechanisms of systemic RTD-1, the differentially expressed genes between synovial tissues of rats with pristane induced arthritis (PIA) and naïve animals were identified and the effect of RTD-1 treatment for 1, 3 or 5 days was then evaluated. The results indicate a regulation of arthritogenic gene networks in a manner that correlates temporally with clinical resolution of rat PIA. The differentially expressed genes between synovial tissues of rats with pristane induced arthritis (PIA) and naïve rats were identified and the effect of RTD-1 treatment for 1, 3 or 5 days was then evaluated.