Description
Mycophenolate mofetil is a prodrug of the compound mycophenolic acid which depletes activated B and T lymphocytes. Mycophenolate mofetil has previously been used in preventing organ transplant rejection and has also been shown to attenuate lupus erythematosus and prolong life in a mouse model of autoimmune disease. Studies have also shown that treatment of a mouse model of Crohn’s disease with mycophenolate mofetil results in deactivation of the inflammatory response, improvement of histologic changes, and regulation of cytokine production by modulating of Th1/Th1 cell differentiation. In a diabetic mouse model, mycophenolate mofetil treatment was found to attenuate diabetic nephropathy independent of glycemic control.