PROSPECTS FOR USING COLCHICINE IN MEDICINE: NEW EVIDENCE

Abstract

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) belong to the most severe chronic human diseases. The leading mechanisms of the development of IMIDs are, in the broad sense of the word, autoimmune and/or autoinflammatory immunopathological processes, the former of which is characterized by the preponderance of activation of acquired immunity, and the latter is by that of innate immunity. A broad spectrum of anti-inflammatory drugs is used to treat IMIDs. Regardless of their structure and molecular targets, the dominant universal effect of the drugs is in suppressing inflammation. A special place is occupied by colchicine that is an alkaloid extracted from meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale), which has been used to treat joint inflammation for more than 2 thousand years, and has unique, not fully deciphered mechanisms that determine its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Owing to the deciphering of the molecular mechanisms of action of colchicine in suppressing the autoinflammatory mechanisms in the immunological pathogenesis of IMIDs, the interest in colchicine has substantially increased and contributed to the expansion of indications for its use in medicine.

Keywords

• colchicine
• autoinflammatory diseases
• gout
• familial mediterranean fever
• behсet's disease
• atherosclerosis