Editorial
Statins: a revised appraisal for potential additional future treatment indications
Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
Arthritis Research & Therapy 2012, 14:121 doi:10.1186/ar3880
See related research by Vandebriel et al., http://arthritis-research.com/content/14/2/R90
Published: 29 June 2012Abstract
Beside statins' well established positive influence on atherosclerotic vascular disease caused by hypercholesterolemia through selective competitive inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, additional effects on the immune system have been described for them. These observations have raised great hopes for additional future treatment indications, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Ten years of searching for such novel treatment indications have not led to breakthroughs and future efforts must be seen with skepticism.
