Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Loram, Lisa Carole
• Culp, Melissa Elizabeth
• Connolly-Strong, Erin Corey
• Sturgill-Koszycki, Sheila

Titel

Melanocortin Peptides: Potential Targets in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Ist Teil von

• Inflammation, 2015-02, Vol.38 (1), p.260-271

Ort / Verlag

Boston: Springer US

Erscheinungsjahr

2015

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease resulting in loss of self-tolerance with multiple organs, such as the kidney, skin, joints, and the central nervous system (CNS), being targeted. Numerous immunosuppressant therapies are currently being used for the treatment of SLE, but their clinical utility is somewhat variable because of the clinical heterogeneity. Melanocortins are a family of peptides derived from the common precursor protein pro-opiomelanocortin. These multifunctional peptides activate five subtypes of melanocortin receptors expressed on immune, skin, muscle, bone, and kidney cells and cells within the CNS. Melanocortin peptides have demonstrated a variety of biologic actions including immunomodulation, melanogenesis, and renoprotection. This review aims to introduce the melanocortin system and explore the mechanisms by which they may be beneficial in diseases such as SLE.