From IL-23/IL-17 to GM-CSF: how is the immuno-inflammatory continuum reshaped in spondyloarthritis?
Jia J · 2026 · Frontiers in immunology
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What this paper found
This review argues that the simple chain of IL-23 driving IL-17 only describes early disease: later, IL-17 is produced by several cell types independently of IL-23, and a second signal, GM-CSF, locks macrophages into a lasting inflammatory state. That would explain why IL-23 blockers failed in axial spondyloarthritis, why IL-17 blockers work, and why controlling inflammation does not always stop new bone forming.
Why this is on the map
Updates the map's IL-23/IL-17 story into a staged model and gives the macrophage thread a named driver, GM-CSF.
On the map under these threads
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1786912 · opens in a new tab. The full paper is on the publisher’s site, not here.
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