Glasgow and Strathclyde: Synthetic version of naturally occurring anti-inflammatory under development

Research lead

Scientists at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, Scotland, are developing a synthetic version of a compound secreted by parasitic tropical worms as a possible treatment for arthritis.

The compound ES-62, secreted by parasitic filarial nematode worms, circulates in the bloodstream of tens of millions of infected people in the Tropics, enabling the worms to avoid the inflammatory responses they would otherwise generate in their human hosts. ES-62 has no known adverse effect on general health, nor does it inhibit the ability of infected people to fight other infections.

The team, led by Margaret Harnett, at Glasgow’s Division of Immunology, Infection and Inflammation, aims to produce a  synthetic derivative of ES-62 as the basis of anti-inflammatory drugs

There is a growing opinion within the scientific community that there is an inverse relationship between worm infections and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, Type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, given that such auto-immune diseases are rare in countries endemic for parasitic worms.

“ES-62 appears to act like a thermostat to effectively turn down disease-causing inflammation whilst leaving essential defence mechanisms intact to fight infection and cancer,” said Iain McInnes, Professor of Experimental Medicine at Glasgow.