Anticytokine therapy – new approach to the treatment of autoimmune and cytokine-disturbance diseases

• Published in: Medical hypotheses 2002-12, Vol.59 (6), p.770-780
• Main Authors: Skurkovich, S.V, Skurkovich, B, Kelly, J.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Autoimmune Diseases - drug therapy; Cytokines - antagonists & inhibitors; Cytokines - physiology; Humans; Models, Immunological; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - antagonists & inhibitors
• ISSN: 0306-9877; 1532-2777
• DOI: 10.1016/S0306-9877(02)00346-8

We pioneered the theory ( Nature, 1974) that hyperproduced interferons (cytokines) can bring autoimmune diseases (AD) and neutralizing these cytokines can be therapeutic. In 1975 we first performed successful anticytokine therapy using anti-IFN-α antibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In 1989 we proposed also treating AD including AIDS by removing TNF-α and IFN-α. Our theory has been widely confirmed: injections of IFN-α and -γ can exacerbate AD, while antibodies to IFN-α and -γ and TNF-α can be therapeutic. Anti-IFN-γ may be a universal treatment for Th1 AD. We had good results using anti-IFN-γ to treat RA, multiple sclerosis (MS), transplant rejection, alopecia areata, vitiligo, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis and others. For Th1/Th2 diseases, antagonists to cortisol could prevent the Th1–Th2 shift and allow treatment as a Th1 disease. Anticytokine therapy can also be therapeutic in many neuropsychiatric diseases. Every disturbance of homeostasis may lead to cytokine disturbance. IL-10 may restore homeostasis by inhibiting the production of certain Th1 cytokines and could be used to treat some embryonic disturbances and AD including MS.