Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39988349›Full record

Trial reportRMD open2025

Targeting the IL-17A pathway for therapy in early-stage tendinopathy.

Neal L Millar, Iain B McInnes, Frank Kolbinger, Friedrich Raulf, Moeed Akbar, Yufei Li, Nicolau Beckmann, Nathalie Accart, Olivier Leupin, Claudio Calonder and 5 more

Abstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in RMD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. CD4iScience · 2026
    Article
  5. Effects of an exercise program on calf muscle characteristics in patients with Achilles tendinopathy.Physical therapy in sport : official journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine · 2025
    Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Neal L MillarSchool of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK neal.millar@glasgow.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-9251-9907
Iain B McInnesSchool of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6462-4280
Frank KolbingerNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0001-2877-5030
Friedrich RaulfNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-9142-7453
Moeed AkbarSchool of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6923-4724
Yufei LiNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0000-7663-5836
Nicolau BeckmannNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-7636-9240
Nathalie AccartNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-4004-0560
Olivier LeupinNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Claudio CalonderNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-5626-7204
Matthias SchiekerNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Michaela KneisselNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0002-4789-5684
Christian BrunsNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
Richard M SiegelNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-5953-9893
Eckhard WeberNovartis Pharma AG, Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-1762-005X

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTendinopathy is a frequent clinical problem and represents an extraordinary health economic and socioeconomic burden with high unmet medical needs. Recent clinical evidence suggests blockade of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) for tendinopathy therapy. The present preclinical study elucidates the biological mechanisms of IL-17A pathway stimulation and blockade in tendinopathy.

methodsWe explored whether IL-17A and other IL-17 family members are differentially expressed in biopsies of healthy, early-stage and late-stage tendinopathic human rotator cuff tendons using RT-qPCR. IL-17 pathway signature genes in healthy human tendon-derived cells were identified following IL-17A stimulation using AmpliSeq RNA. The molecular, structural and functional consequences of IL-17A pathway stimulation were explored in healthy human tendon-derived cells and in a rat tendon fascicle model ex vivo. The effects of IL-17A pathway blockade were investigated in a rat model of rotator cuff tendinopathy in vivo.

resultsWe provide evidence of differential expression of IL-17A mRNA (

conclusionOur data provide evidence that IL-17A is a key contributor to the pathogenesis of tendinopathy by promoting tendon inflammation and degeneration and that IL-17A blockade may represent a potential therapy in early-stage tendinopathy.

Indexed as

Interleukin-17Signal TransductionTendinopathyAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRatsRotator CuffTendonsIL17A protein, humanInterleukin-17InflammationInterleukin-17Tendinopathy

Identifiers

PMID39988349
PMCPMC11881027

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Registered trials

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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.