Transient receptor potential melastatin 2: a novel target for treatment of gout

Abstract

Gout is an ancient autoinflammatory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by unbearable recurrent pain due to the massive local inflammation caused by the metabolic product, monosodium urate crystals. Although conventional therapies for gout can reduce the pain in patients, the severe undesirable side effects require the urgent need for novel therapies that can more specifically target gout-associated inflammatory pathways. Recent scientific advance on the mechanistic study of gout-associated inflammation is discussed and the potential of targeting the transient receptor potential melastatin 2 is highlighted as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of gout.