TY - JOUR
T1 - Ursolic acid suppresses interleukin-17 (IL-17) production by selectively antagonizing the function of RORγt protein
AU - Xu, Tao
AU - Wang, Xiaohu
AU - Zhong, Bo
AU - Nurieva, Roza I.
AU - Ding, Sheng
AU - Dong, Chen
PY - 2011/7/1
Y1 - 2011/7/1
N2 - Th17 cells have recently emerged as a major player in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases via the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-17F, and IL-22. The differentiation of Th17 cells and the associated cytokine production is directly controlled by RORγt. Here we show that ursolic acid (UA), a small molecule present in herbal medicine, selectively and effectively inhibits the function of RORγt, resulting in greatly decreased IL-17 expression in both developing and differentiated Th17 cells. In addition, treatment with UA ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The results thus suggest UA as a valuable drug candidate or leading compound for developing treatments of Th17-mediated inflammatory diseases and cancer.
AB - Th17 cells have recently emerged as a major player in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases via the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-17F, and IL-22. The differentiation of Th17 cells and the associated cytokine production is directly controlled by RORγt. Here we show that ursolic acid (UA), a small molecule present in herbal medicine, selectively and effectively inhibits the function of RORγt, resulting in greatly decreased IL-17 expression in both developing and differentiated Th17 cells. In addition, treatment with UA ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The results thus suggest UA as a valuable drug candidate or leading compound for developing treatments of Th17-mediated inflammatory diseases and cancer.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79959538387&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79959538387&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1074/jbc.C111.250407
DO - 10.1074/jbc.C111.250407
M3 - Article
C2 - 21566134
AN - SCOPUS:79959538387
SN - 0021-9258
VL - 286
SP - 22707
EP - 22710
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
IS - 26
ER -