Gouty Arthritis: New Targets for Future Therapies

Gout is a very painful arthritis that affects millions of people around the world. In the last decade, various mechanisms associated to uric acid crystals-induced joint inflammation have been described, including details related to the activation of the cytoplasmic sensor NLRP3 inflammasome that eventually leads to the maturation and release the cytokine IL-1β. The identification of these signalling pathways opens new therapeutic opportunities for the treatment of gout and other related diseases. Here, we review the main inflammatory characteristics of gout, exploring the main intracellular signalling molecules and cell types involved in this disease and point out potential targets to improve the therapeutic options for joint inflammation in gout.