Abstract
The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway regulates innate and adaptive immunity during normal physiological function, and activation of the pathway by electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (VNS) can reduce pathological levels of inflammation in animal models of autoimmune disorders. A proof-of-concept human study of VNS in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has shown that VNS can ameliorate inflammation in humans. Future clinical studies will employ a novel, application-specific investigational stimulation system. In concept, this system is capable of being evolved to function in a closed-loop manner, adjusting therapy delivery to the patient’s level of disease activity.
Conflicts Statement: P.P.T. has received consulting fees from SetPoint Medical Corporation and is currently an employee of GlaxoSmithKline, which holds an equity interest in SetPoint Medical Corporation. He is a on the Board of Directors for Galvani Biosciences, another electroceuticals firm.
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Levine, Y.A., Simon, J.M., Koopman, F., Faltys, M., Zitnik, R., Tak, PP. (2017). VNS for Treatment of Inflammatory Joint Diseases. In: Majid, A. (eds) Electroceuticals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28612-9_2
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