Paran Daphna, Paran Haim
Department of Rheumatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizmann Street, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel.
Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2003 May;4(5):578-82.
Somatostatin (SST) is a naturally occurring neuropeptide that has multiple modulatory effects on the immune system and the function of synovial cells, as well as anti-angiogenic, antiproliferative and analgesic properties. These unique and diverse properties make this naturally occurring peptide an attractive candidate for use as a therapeutic agent in immune-mediated diseases, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this disease, proliferation of the synovial membrane, angiogenesis and dysregulated immunological activity lead to joint erosion and destruction. Here we review the postulated modes of action of SST in animal models of inflammation, autoimmunity and RA, as well as in humans. We also discuss the wide distribution of SST and its specific receptors, and the various SST analogs available. Results of a pilot study to evaluate the effect of SST analog treatment in refractory RA is discussed, and future directions for treatment and investigation are suggested.
生长抑素（SST）是一种天然存在的神经肽，对免疫系统和滑膜细胞功能具有多种调节作用，还具有抗血管生成、抗增殖和镇痛特性。这些独特多样的特性使这种天然存在的肽成为免疫介导疾病，尤其是类风湿关节炎（RA）治疗药物的有吸引力的候选物。在这种疾病中，滑膜增殖、血管生成和免疫活性失调会导致关节侵蚀和破坏。在此，我们综述了SST在炎症、自身免疫和RA动物模型以及人类中的假定作用模式。我们还讨论了SST及其特异性受体的广泛分布以及现有的各种SST类似物。讨论了一项评估SST类似物治疗难治性RA效果的初步研究结果，并提出了未来治疗和研究的方向。
