Fucoidan in the Treatment of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis

Summary

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint destruction and autoantibody production. Scavenger receptor-A (SR-A), a pattern recognition receptor primarily expressed on myeloid-derived cells, is significantly elevated in the serum of RA patients. Genetic knockout of SR-A completely protects mice from collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). As an SR-A inhibitor, fucoidan markedly suppresses the progression of CIA in mice. Given the potential role of SR-A in RA pathogenesis, the investigators hypothesize that fucoidan may exert therapeutic effects in RA by specifically targeting human SR-A. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of fucoidan in RA treatment through a multicenter, single-arm, open-label trial, providing original insights into its clinical application. The investigators plan to enroll 40 patients with a 12-week follow-up period. Clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, and disease activity will be systematically evaluated to assess therapeutic outcomes. The findings will provide evidence-based medical data for RA treatment strategies.

Timeline

Start

2026-01-10

Primary completion

2026-12

Completion

2027-07

Publications

• Background Li ZG. A new look at rheumatology in China--opportunities and challenges. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2015 May;11(5):313-7. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2014.218. Epub 2015 Jan 20.
• Background Hu F, Jiang X, Guo C, Li Y, Chen S, Zhang W, Du Y, Wang P, Zheng X, Fang X, Li X, Song J, Xie Y, Huang F, Xue J, Bai M, Jia Y, Liu X, Ren L, Zhang X, Guo J, Pan H, Su Y, Yi H, Ye H, Zuo D, Li J, Wu H, Wang Y, Li R, Liu L, Wang XY, Li Z. Scavenger receptor-A is a biomarker and effector of rheumatoid arthritis: A large-scale multicenter study. Nat Commun. 2020 Apr 20;11(1):1911. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15700-3.
• Background Yeh CW, Shih CJ, Liu TC, Chiou YL. Effects of oligo-fucoidan on the immune response, inflammatory status and pulmonary function in patients with asthma: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Sci Rep. 2022 Oct 28;12(1):18150. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-21527-3.
• Background Konic Ristic A, Ryan S, Attjioui M, O'Connell S, Gibney ER. Effects of an Extract of the Brown Seaweed Ascophylum nodosum on Postprandial Glycaemic Control in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Study. Mar Drugs. 2023 May 31;21(6):337. doi: 10.3390/md21060337.

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