Abstract:This research article was published in the April issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation by investigators of Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences and Shanghai Second Medical University. In this study, the authors described, for the first time, how osteopontin (OPN), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays an important role in the amplification and perpetuation of synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. They discovered that the over-expression of OPN in inflammatory T cells is associated with IL-10 produced in the inflamed joint and that over-expressed OPN is responsible for chemokine production of T cells. The findings have important implication in the development of novel treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.