UTA researchers discover mechanism behind immunosuppressive effects of drugs used to treat autoimmune disorders and cancers

Biochemists at The University of Texas at Arlington have demonstrated the mechanism behind how thiopurine drugs suppress immune response. This knowledge could lead could lead to an improvement of those drugs, which are commonly used to treat autoimmune disorders and cancers, but are also associated with side effects like cardiovascular disease and hypertension. “Up to now, no one has known exactly how the thiopurine immunosuppressive process works,” said Jongyun Heo, associate professor of chemistry and leader of the study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.