Rheumatology 2000; 39: 935-938
© 2000 British Society for Rheumatology
Editorial |
Selective Cox-2 inhibition in man—therapeutic breakthrough or cosmetic advance?
Lund University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
In 1992, I remember a board meeting at which Dr DeWitt from Michigan State University presented new in vitro data indicating predominant inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) by a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which in clinical practice had shown good gastrointestinal tolerance [1]. The investigators used rodent enzymes, and unfortunately the data could not be reproduced when using human reagents. However, the search for real Cox-2 inhibitors was already in full swing and, as we all know, this has now resulted in the very successful marketing of two drugs of a new type of chemical, called coxibes [2–5]. The precise molecular characterization of two Cox isozymes, although not complete, is a fascinating story that has brought excitement into an area which until recently induced somnolence among the general rheumatologist. While it is still true that Cox-1 is expressed constitutionally in most cells and Cox-2 is