PubMed · 2026-05-31
Researchers found that cells from people with Rett syndrome — a rare neurological disorder — are stuck in a state of chronic inflammation because two key protective pathways fail to work together properly. Combining an anti-inflammatory drug with a natural compound found in broccoli (sulforaphane) partially corrected this imbalance in lab-grown cells.
RTT patient cells showed elevated nuclear NF-κB p65 and increased acetylated NF-κB at baseline, indicating constitutive inflammatory activation without a proportional antioxidant (Nrf2) response.
When challenged with LPS (a bacterial stimulus), RTT fibroblasts failed to activate either the NF-κB or Nrf2 pathway, showing blunted transcriptional responses compared to healthy controls.
Combined treatment with sulforaphane (Nrf2 activator) and BAY-117082 (NF-κB inhibitor) significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and increased HMOX1/HO-1 antioxidant gene expression in RTT cells.
