Homocitrullinated Peptides Drive Pro-Inflammatory T-Cell Responses in a Humanized Mouse Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The authors investigate the T-cell responses to homocitrullinated peptides (HomoCitP) in a humanized mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to understand their potential pathogenic role. They find that immunization with HomoCitP leads to significant expansion of pro-inflammatory T helper and cytotoxic T cell subsets, along with markers of T cell exhaustion, suggesting that these responses may contribute to RA pathogenesis and could be targeted for future therapies.