Wang Siyu, Wan Lei, Zhang Mengyu, Yan Dawei, Li Feng
First Clinical Medical College, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230038, People's Republic of China.
Department of Rheumatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, People's Republic of China.
J Inflamm Res. 2025 Jun 19;18:8085-8106. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S526096. eCollection 2025.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis. It has a high prevalence worldwide, significantly impacting patients ' quality of life. There are still numerous obstacles and problems in the treatment of this disease. In the RA patients and RA animal models, the inflammatory response mainly involves abnormal activation of immune cells, such as T cells and macrophages. These cells release pro-inflammatory cytokines and trigger autoimmune reactions, ultimately causing irreversible joint tissue damage. The pathogenesis of RA is complex, involving genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors increase the risk of disease, while environmental factors, such as infection and smoking, can trigger the onset of disease. An in-depth study of its pathogenesis and new therapeutic targets is of great significance in improving the therapeutic effect of RA. Recently, m6A methylation, an RNA modification method, has played an important role in regulating gene expression and disease progression. This modification significantly regulates immune inflammatory responses in RA, providing new insights for potential therapeutic approaches. Moreover, ferroptosis and cuproptosis, two new forms of cell death, have gradually been recognized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of RA. Ferroptosis is characterized by an imbalance in intracellular iron homeostasis and the production of reactive oxygen species, while cuproptosis involves the accumulation and metabolic abnormalities of intracellular copper. These processes play a key role in the immune inflammatory response of RA and have become potential therapeutic targets. The current review discusses the research progress of m6A methylation, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis in the pathogenesis of RA and elucidates their interactions. An in-depth understanding of these new targets might provide new strategies and drug design ideas for the treatment of RA, thereby improving the prognosis and quality of life of RA patients.
类风湿关节炎(RA)是一种以滑膜炎为特征的自身免疫性疾病。它在全球范围内具有较高的患病率,严重影响患者的生活质量。该疾病的治疗仍存在诸多障碍和问题。在RA患者和RA动物模型中,炎症反应主要涉及免疫细胞如T细胞和巨噬细胞的异常激活。这些细胞释放促炎细胞因子并引发自身免疫反应,最终导致不可逆的关节组织损伤。RA的发病机制复杂,涉及遗传和环境因素。遗传因素增加患病风险,而环境因素如感染和吸烟可触发疾病发作。深入研究其发病机制和新的治疗靶点对提高RA的治疗效果具有重要意义。最近,m6A甲基化作为一种RNA修饰方法,在调节基因表达和疾病进展中发挥了重要作用。这种修饰显著调节RA中的免疫炎症反应,为潜在的治疗方法提供了新的见解。此外,铁死亡和铜死亡这两种新的细胞死亡形式,逐渐被认识到在RA的发病机制中起重要作用。铁死亡的特征是细胞内铁稳态失衡和活性氧的产生,而铜死亡涉及细胞内铜的积累和代谢异常。这些过程在RA的免疫炎症反应中起关键作用,并已成为潜在的治疗靶点。本综述讨论了m6A甲基化、铁死亡和铜死亡在RA发病机制中的研究进展,并阐明了它们之间的相互作用。深入了解这些新靶点可能为RA的治疗提供新的策略和药物设计思路,从而改善RA患者的预后和生活质量。