Grant: Operating Grant

Calprotectin is an association of S100A8 and S100A9, two proteins expressed by white blood cells. Recent data indicate that S100A9 stimulates inflammation, while S100A8 is rapidly oxidised at the inflammatory site and reduces the inflammatory response. We recently demonstrated that S100A9 plays an important role in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory response. In contrast, preliminary experiments suggest that S100A8 protects from arthritis in a mouse model. We hypothesize that S100A8 expressed during inflammation suppress the immune response against the joints. We will induce arthritis in mice deficient in S100A8 to determine the role of S100A8 in arthritis. We will also examine the effect of S100A8 on immune cells.