{"id":33349,"date":"2026-01-16T21:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=33349"},"modified":"2026-01-16T21:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:09:11","slug":"natural-immune-brake-could-transform-treatment-of-chronic-inflammation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/natural-immune-brake-could-transform-treatment-of-chronic-inflammation\/","title":{"rendered":"Natural Immune \u2018Brake\u2019 Could Transform Treatment of Chronic Inflammation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Scientists at University College London have uncovered a natural \u201coff switch\u201d for inflammation in humans. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for arthritis, heart disease and other chronic conditions driven by runaway immune responses.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scientists have identified a natural \u201cbrake\u201d in the human immune system that helps switch off inflammation before it causes lasting damage \u2014 a discovery that could reshape how doctors treat chronic diseases such as arthritis and heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a human study led by researchers at University College London, tiny fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins were shown to act as internal stop signals for the immune system. When boosted with a drug, these molecules helped resolve pain faster and prevented the build-up of a type of white blood cell linked to long-term inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The work, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-025-67961-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Nature Communications, offers fresh hope for millions of people living with chronic inflammatory conditions, which are a major driver of disability and early death worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inflammation is the body\u2019s first line of defense against infection or injury. It causes redness, heat, swelling and pain as immune cells rush to the site of damage. In a healthy response, this reaction is short-lived: once the threat is cleared, the body shifts into healing mode and inflammation fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when that \u201coff switch\u201d fails, the immune system can stay stuck in fight mode. Over time, this smoldering inflammation can damage tissues and organs, contributing to conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The UCL team set out to understand how the body decides to stand down its immune response. They focused on epoxy-oxylipins, fat-based molecules that animal studies had suggested could reduce inflammation and pain, but whose role in humans was largely unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To study this in real time, the researchers created a controlled, short-lived inflammatory reaction in healthy volunteers. Participants received a tiny injection of ultraviolet-killed E. coli bacteria into the skin of the forearm, triggering the familiar signs of acute inflammation: pain, redness, warmth and swelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Forty-eight volunteers were divided into two groups. In one \u201cprophylactic\u201d arm, participants were given a drug called GSK2256294 two hours before the injection. In the other \u201ctherapeutic\u201d arm, they received the drug four hours after inflammation had begun, mimicking how a treatment might be used once symptoms appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GSK2256294 blocks an enzyme called soluble epoxide hydrolase, or sEH, which normally breaks down epoxy-oxylipins. By inhibiting sEH, the drug raises levels of these protective fat molecules in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across both groups, the researchers found that blocking sEH boosted epoxy-oxylipin levels, sped up the resolution of pain and sharply reduced levels of so-called intermediate monocytes in the blood and tissue. These white blood cells are helpful in short bursts, helping fight infection and repair tissue, but when they linger or expand, they can keep the immune system switched on and drive chronic inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur findings reveal a natural pathway that limits harmful immune cell expansion and helps calm inflammation more quickly,\u201d first author Olivia Bracken, a research fellow in the UCL Department of Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, said in a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Importantly, the drug\u2019s effects were seen inside the body rather than on the skin\u2019s surface. While pain resolved more quickly, visible signs such as redness and swelling did not change significantly, suggesting the treatment was altering deeper immune processes without simply masking symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Further tests homed in on one particular epoxy-oxylipin, called 12,13-EpOME. The team found that this molecule works by shutting down a protein signal known as p38 MAPK, which drives the transformation of monocytes into more inflammatory forms. This mechanism was confirmed both in laboratory experiments and in volunteers who were given a separate drug that blocks p38.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By mapping how these molecules behave in humans during inflammation, the study opens a new window into the body\u2019s own tools for restoring balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is the first study to map epoxy-oxylipin activity in humans during inflammation,\u201d added corresponding author Derek Gilroy, a professor of experimental inflammation and pharmacology in the UCL Division of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike many immune-suppressing drugs that can leave patients more vulnerable to infections, targeting epoxy-oxylipins and the sEH enzyme could offer a way to nudge the immune system back toward normal without shutting it down completely. That makes the approach especially attractive for long-term conditions that flare repeatedly over many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The discovery is particularly relevant for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body\u2019s own tissues. The researchers note that sEH inhibitors like GSK2256294 could potentially be tested alongside existing arthritis medications to see if they help prevent or slow joint damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For people living with arthritis, better pain control and inflammation management could be life-changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat is why it is important that we invest in research like this, that helps us understand what causes and influences people&#8217;s experience of pain,\u201d Caroline Aylott, head of research delivery at Arthritis UK, which funded the study, said in the news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study involved collaborators at UCL, King\u2019s College London, the University of Oxford, Queen Mary University of London and the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the findings are early and come from a carefully controlled experimental model in healthy volunteers, they set the stage for clinical trials in people with chronic inflammatory diseases. Future studies are expected to test sEH inhibitors in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease, to see whether enhancing the body\u2019s own epoxy-oxylipin \u201cbrake\u201d can reduce flares, protect tissues and improve quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As chronic inflammation continues to be recognized as a major global health threat, the work points toward a new class of treatments that work with, rather than against, the body\u2019s natural healing systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith chronic inflammation ranked as a major global health threat, this discovery opens a promising avenue for new therapies,\u201d added Bracken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/news\/2026\/jan\/scientists-discover-natural-brake-could-stop-harmful-inflammation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">University College London<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists at University College London have uncovered a natural \u201coff switch\u201d for inflammation in humans. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for arthritis, heart disease and other chronic conditions driven by runaway immune responses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[50,48,183,166],"class_list":["post-33349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","tag-kings-college-london","tag-queen-mary-university-of-london","tag-university-college-london","tag-university-of-oxford"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Scientists at University College London have uncovered a natural \u201coff switch\u201d for inflammation in humans. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments for arthritis, heart disease and other chronic conditions driven by runaway immune responses.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33349"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33390,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33349\/revisions\/33390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}