The GTPase Rac regulates the proliferation and invasion of fibroblast-like synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients.

ABSTRACT: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) isolated from joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients display proliferative and invasive properties reminiscent of those of malignant tumor cells. Rac small GTPases play an important role in tumor cell proliferation and invasion. We therefore investigated the potential role of Rac proteins in the proliferative and invasive behavior of RA-FLS. We showed that inhibiting Rac activity with the Rac-specific small molecule inhibitor NSC23766 causes a strong inhibition of RA-FLS proliferation, without affecting cell survival. Rac inhibition also results in a strong reduction in RA-FLS invasion through reconstituted extracellular matrix and a less marked inhibition of two-dimensional migration as measured by monolayer wound healing. We also showed that small

SUBMITTER: Chan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1906689 | biostudies-literature | 2007 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature