Browsing by Author "Moita, Luis Ferreira"
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- Effect of celastrol on bone structure and mechanics in arthritic ratsPublication . Cascão, Rita; Vidal, Bruno; Jalmari Finnilä, Mikko Arttu; Lopes, Inês Pascoal; Teixeira, Rui Lourenço; Saarakkala, Simo; Moita, Luis Ferreira; Fonseca, João EuricoRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterised by chronic inflammation leading to articular bone and cartilage damage. Despite recent progress in RA management, adverse effects, lack of efficacy and economic barriers to treatment access still limit therapeutic success. Therefore, safer and less expensive treatments that control inflammation and bone resorption are needed. We have previously shown that celastrol is a candidate for RA treatment. We have observed that it inhibits both interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in vitro, and that it has anti-inflammatory properties and ability to decrease synovial CD68+ macrophages in vivo. Herein our goal was to evaluate the effect of celastrol in local and systemic bone loss.
- Sepsis: the need for tolerance not complacencyPublication . Velho, Tiago R; Santos, Isa; Póvoa, Pedro; Moita, Luis FerreiraSepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises as a systemic inflammatory response syndrome to an infection. Its uncontrolled progression can in frequent cases lead to multiple organ failure, which is still associated with high mortality rates. Modern antibiotics made clear that the infection is only an initiating, and not always necessary, event of this syndrome as many patients with sepsis die despite effective eradication of the inciting pathogen. This observation critically contributed to a paradigm shift that focused the pathogenesis of sepsis on the host and not on the pathogen. However, therapeutic strategies based on the inhibition of proinflammatory critical mediators of sepsis or immunostimulation have so far failed to improve sepsis outcome and, therefore, this condition urgently needs transformative therapeutic ideas and strategies. Here we argue that the induction of tolerance, a defence strategy that minimises the impact of an infection on organ function without directly affecting the pathogen burden, is perhaps the missing but essential element to add to the current components of sepsis care and treatment.