cortistatin-14 and Inflammatory-Bowel-Diseases

The induction of immune tolerance is critical for the prevention of autoimmunity and the maintenance of immune homeostasis. The identification of factors involved in the maintenance or restoration of such tolerance has become the focus of new therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Cortistatin, a recently discovered cyclic neuropeptide related to somatostatin, has emerged as a potential endogenous antiinflammatory factor based on its production by, as well as its binding to, immune cells. Thus, cortistatin has been found to downregulate the inflammatory response mediated by activated macrophages. The present work reviews various recent studies involving different experimental models of sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, demonstrating that cortistatin treatment offers great benefits at both the clinical and pathological levels. These include the downregulation of both inflammatory and Th1-mediated autoimmune disease components and the emergence of regulatory T cells (Treg) that suppress autoreactive T cells, both of which contribute to the restoration of immune tolerance. While many questions need to be resolved, cortistatin appears to be an exciting and promising candidate for the treatment of several chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Autoimmune Diseases; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Immunologic Factors; Inflammation; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Macrophages; Neuropeptides; Shock, Septic; Th1 Cells

Cortistatin is a recently discovered cyclic neuropeptide related to somatostatin that has emerged as a potential endogenous antiinflammatory factor based on its production by, and binding to, immune cells. Crohn's disease is a chronic debilitating disease characterized by severe T helper 1 (Th1)-driven inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of cortistatin in a murine model of colitis. Cortistatin treatment significantly ameliorated the clinical and histopathologic severity of the inflammatory colitis, abrogating body weight loss, diarrhea, and inflammation and increased the survival rate of the colitic mice. The therapeutic effect was associated with down-regulation of inflammatory and Th1-driven autoimmune response, including the regulation of a wide spectrum of inflammatory mediators. In addition, a partial involvement of regulatory IL-10-secreting T cells in this therapeutic effect was demonstrated. Importantly, cortistatin treatment was therapeutically effective in established colitis and avoided the recurrence of the disease. This work identifies cortistatin as an antiinflammatory factor with the capacity to deactivate the intestinal inflammatory response and restore mucosal immune tolerance at multiple levels. Consequently, cortistatin represents a multistep therapeutic approach for the treatment of Crohn's disease and other Th1-mediated inflammatory diseases.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Immunity, Mucosal; In Vitro Techniques; Inflammation Mediators; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neuropeptides; Th1 Cells; Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid