ReviewClinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.)2021
ROCK2, a critical regulator of immune modulation and fibrosis has emerged as a therapeutic target in chronic graft-versus-host disease.
Review in Clinical immunology (Orlando, Fla.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evolving Paradigms in Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: From Global Immunosuppression to Precision Targeted and Cell-Based Therapies.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2026Pooled it
- Efficacy of different pharmacological therapies for diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Novel highly selective ROCK2 inhibitor (TDI01) for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease: a multicenter, open-label phase Ib/II study.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2026Trial
- Belumosudil in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, open-label extension, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2025Trial
- A phase II study of belumosudil for chronic graft-versus-host disease in patients who failed at least one line of systemic therapy in China.BMC medicine · 2024Trial
- Belumosudil for acute GVHD after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a retrospective case series.International journal of hematology · 2026Article
- Beyond cytoskeletal regulation: Rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 in kidney inflammation and fibrosis.Histology and histopathology · 2026Review
- [Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary chronic graft-versus-host disease (2026)].Zhonghua xue ye xue za zhi = Zhonghua xueyexue zazhi · 2026Article
- Rovadicitinib: First Approval.Drugs · 2026Review
- ROCK2 inhibition suppresses cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated platelet destruction in primary immune thrombocytopenia.Cell & bioscience · 2026Article
- Belumosudil for Long-Standing Refractory Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: A Two-Patient Case Report.Clinical case reports · 2026Article
- Chronic graft-versus-host disease.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026Review
- Patients with steroid-refractory gastrointestinal aGVHD respond to ROCK2 inhibitor rapidly.Annals of hematology · 2026Article
- Review
- Wireless electrostimulation implants enable sphincter neuromuscular improvement toward mixed urinary incontinence.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Host modulation therapy in periodontitis: from established therapies to emerging technologies.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Cellular Therapy for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases: New Opportunities for Future Research and Interdisciplinary Collaboration.ACR open rheumatology · 2025Review
- Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease, Part 1: How Preclinical Models Shape Our Understanding of Biology and Pave the Way for Future Therapeutic Interventions.Transplantation · 2025Review
- Rho-kinase inhibition reduces subretinal fibrosis.Cell death discovery · 2025Article
- Real-world Canadian data on belumosudil therapy in heavily pretreated patients with steroid-refractory chronic graft-versus-host disease: treatment outcomes and risk factor analysis for failure-free survival.Annals of hematology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinases (ROCKs) are key coordinators of tissue response to injury, regulating multiple functions, such as gene expression and cell migration, proliferation and survival. Relevant to cGVHD and autoimmunity, only the ROCK2 isoform drives a pro-inflammatory type 17 helper T (Th17) cell response. Moreover, ROCK2 inhibition shifts the Th17/regulatory T (Treg) cell balance toward Treg cells and restores immune homeostasis in animal models of autoimmunity and cGVHD. Furthermore, the selective inhibition of ROCK2 by belumosudil reduces fibrosis by downregulating both transforming growth factor-β signaling and profibrotic gene expression, thereby impeding the creation of focal adhesions. Consistent with its anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic activities, belumosudil has demonstrated efficacy in clinical studies, resulting in an overall response rate of >70% in patients with cGVHD who failed 2 to 5 prior lines of systemic therapy. In summary, selective ROCK2 inhibition has emerged as a promising novel therapeutic approach for treating cGVHD and other immunologic diseases with unique mechanisms of action, targeting both immune imbalance and detrimental fibrotic responses.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.