DNA Methylation Signatures of Response to Conventional Synthetic and Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex condition that displays heterogeneity in disease severity and response to standard treatments between patients. Failure rates for conventional, target synthetic, and biologic disease-modifying rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are significant. Although there are models for predicting patient response, they have limited accuracy, require replication/validation, or for samples to be obtained through a synovial biopsy. Thus, currently, there are no prediction methods approved for routine clinical use. Previous research has shown that genetics and environmental factors alone cannot explain the differences in response between patients. Recent studies have demonstrated that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation plays an important role in the pathogenesis and disease progression of RA. Importantly, specific DNA methylation profiles associated with response to conventional, target synthetic, and biologic DMARDs have been found in the blood of RA patients and could potentially function as predictive biomarkers. This review will summarize and evaluate the evidence for DNA methylation signatures in treatment response mainly in blood but also learn from the progress made in the diseased tissue in cancer in comparison to RA and autoimmune diseases. We will discuss the benefits and challenges of using DNA methylation signatures as predictive markers and the potential for future progress in this area.

Keywords: DMARDs; DNA methylation; anti-TNF therapy; biologic therapy; precision medicine; rheumatoid arthritis; treatment response.

Figure 1

Diagram showing the process of DNA methylation and how methylation at the promoter region of genes affects transcription and ultimately protein expression levels. Created with BioRender.com accessed on 22 May 2023.