Rebamipide

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a chronic complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). At present, no drugs are capable of delaying the progression of LN without a risk of serious side effects. There is thus a pressing need for further studies of LN pathogenesis to identify novel therapeutic targets and aid in the development of new approaches to treating this debilitating disease. In this study, a multi-omics approach was used to characterize the pathogenesis of LN and to identify disease-related targets, ultimately leading to the identification and validation of Yin Yang 1 (YY1) as a promising therapeutic target in LN. A rapid approach to efficiently screening for candidate YY1 ligands was implemented using drug databases that established rebamipide as a YY1 antagonist suitable for use in the management of LN. Specifically, the YY1 antagonist activity of rebamipide was found to regulate lymphocyte activity, reduce autoantibody production, limit immune complex deposition, and suppress macrophage activation while improving symptoms in a murine model of LN. Results supportive of a similar pathologic mechanism of action were also obtained when analyzing renal tissue sections from LN patients, underscoring the potential clinical significance of YY1 and its antagonist rebamipide, suggesting that rebamipide may have positive effects on lymphocytes and may improve symptoms in treated patients. This study provides a robust foundation for further research focused on the pathogenesis and treatment of LN.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of rebamipide ophthalmic suspension on optical quality and efficacy of patients with dry eye under different conditions. Methods: A comprehensive search across five databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wan Fang) was conducted for studies published through May 13, 2024, focusing on rebamipide for dry eye treatment. Results: A total of 11 studies including 334 patients with dry eye were included. Tear breakup time (TBUT) values of patients with dry eye increased significantly after 2 weeks (standardized mean difference [SMD] =1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.05, 2.09]), 4 weeks (SMD = 1.26, 95% CI = [0.77, 1.75]), and 12 weeks (SMD = 1.04, 95% CI = [0.37, 1.71]) of rebamipide treatment. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with dry eye wearing soft contact lens (SCL) exhibited higher TBUT values after 4 weeks of rebamipide treatment compared with those who received rebamipide alone. In addition, rebamipide significantly improved fluorescein staining score of patients with dry eye after 4 weeks of treatment (SMD = -0.34, 95% CI = [-0.63, -0.06]). However, 4 weeks of rebamipide treatment showed no significant effect on Schirmer I test values (SMD = -0.04, 95%, CI = [-0.43, 0.35]) and higher-order aberrations (SMD = -0.73, 95% CI = [-1.77, 0.30]). Conclusions: These results indicate a significant improvement in the efficacy of rebamipide treatment for patients with dry eye, particularly for those wearing SCL. The effect of rebamipide on visual quality was found to correlate with the underlying dry eye status.