Swansea University researchers find that the diabetes drug Canagliflozin shows promise in treating autoimmune disorders by targeting T-cell activation.
Swansea University researchers found Canagliflozin, a diabetes drug, has the potential to treat autoimmune disorders by affecting T-cell activation. Its safety profile for diabetes treatment could expedite approval, providing a faster alternative to developing new medications.
Swansea University scientists discovered that canagliflozin, a type 2 diabetes drug, could potentially treat autoimmune conditions by targeting T-cells, crucial immune system components. This could potentially help combat autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Canagliflozin, a drug used to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, has been unexpectedly found to play a role in the human immune system.
Previous research has shown that targeting T-cell metabolism can be beneficial in treating autoimmune conditions. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that normally helps the body fight infections, but in autoimmune diseases, they mistakenly attack healthy tissues.
A study supported by the Medical Research Council found canagliflozin reduces T-cell activation, suggesting it could be a potential treatment for autoimmune conditions triggered by T-cells.
Dr. Nick Jones, the leader of the study, states that -
“Our findings are significant as they provide the foundation for the clinical development of canagliflozin for the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases. As the drug is already widely used and has a known safety profile in humans, it could potentially reach clinics quicker than any new drugs developed and bring valuable benefits more swiftly to patients with autoimmune disorders.”
Ben Jenkins, the first author and a postdoctoral researcher at Swansea, mentioned that -
“Identifying new roles for drugs that are currently being used in other disease settings is an exciting area of research. Given that our research primarily targets the metabolism of immune cells, we hope that the potential therapeutic benefits of our findings are applicable to a wide range of conditions.”
The researchers are optimistic about the possibility of canagliflozin being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of certain autoimmune disorders in the future.