Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41810149›Full record

ArticleMilitary Medical Research2025

Repurposing a detrimental antibody epitope as targeted therapeutics for sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Wei-Qiang Chen, Li Lou, Xiao-Ling Qiang, Cassie Shu Zhu, Jian-Hua Li, Shu-Jin Chen, Brian Xiong, Huan Yang, Ping Wang, Kevin J Tracey and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Military Medical Research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Wei-Qiang ChenThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Li LouThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Xiao-Ling QiangThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Cassie Shu ZhuThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Jian-Hua LiThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Shu-Jin ChenThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Brian XiongThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Huan YangThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Ping WangThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Kevin J TraceyThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.
Hai-Chao WangThe Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY 11030 USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0211-9000

Funding

Mechanisms of Novel Herbal Therapies for Sepsis.R01AT005076 · NCCIH · FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · PI WANG, HAICHAO · 2010 to 2023
$4.3M
Mechanisms of Dysregulated Innate Immune Responses to Lethal InfectionsR35GM145331 · NIGMS · FEINSTEIN INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH · PI Haichao Wang · 2022 to 2026
$2.1M
NCCIH NIH HHS R01 AT005076NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM145331
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are distinct yet mechanistically related conditions commonly driven by dysregulated inflammatory responses. Here, we explored the counterintuitive hypothesis that an epitope from a deleterious anti-tetranectin (TN) antibody (mAb9) could hold unforeseen therapeutic potential. Methods: By mapping mAb9's epitope to P2 (residues 55-70), a region crucial for TN's protective functions, we developed P2-1, a water-soluble derivative as a targeted therapy. We then employed animal models of sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture) and arthritis (collagen antibody-induced arthritis) to evaluate the therapeutic effects of P2, P2-1, and a procathepsin L (pCTS-L)-neutralizing antibody by assessing septic survival, arthritis severity, pain sensitivity, and joint tissue histology. In parallel, we utilized a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay and computational modeling to examine the P2-1/high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) interaction. Finally, we elucidate the effect of P2-1 on the HMGB1-induced release of pCTS-L and other cytokines and chemokines using primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results: P2-1 significantly improved survival and reduced systemic inflammation in a sepsis model, and attenuated arthritis severity and pain sensitivity in an RA model, even with therapeutic administration after disease onset. Mechanistically, P2-1 exhibited high-affinity binding to HMGB1 and selectively suppressed HMGB1-induced cathepsin L ( Conclusions: Our findings introduce a paradigm-shifting drug discovery strategy that transforms insights from harmful antibody action into targeted therapeutics for the HMGB1-pCTS-L axis. This approach not only delivers P2-1 as a potent therapy but also establishes pCTS-L as a crucial mediator in inflammatory diseases such as sepsis and RA. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40779-026-00686-8.

Indexed as

Arthritis, RheumatoidEpitopesSepsisAnimalsAntibodies, MonoclonalDisease Models, AnimalHumansAntibodies, MonoclonalEpitopesAntibodyEpitopeHigh mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)Innate immune cellsMimetic peptideProcathepsin LRheumatoid arthritis (RA)SepsisTetranectin

Identifiers

PMID41810149
PMCPMC12914960

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.