Simple English explanation with example
- It catches and holds a specific protein that causes joint pain.
- It prevents your body from starting an internal fire of inflammation.
- It helps protect bones and cartilage from wearing away too fast.
- It reduces the skin redness and scaling found in psoriasis.
- Example: A goalkeeper catching a ball before it hits the net.
Scientific explanation
- Enbrel (Etanercept) is a dimeric soluble form of the TNF receptor.
- It binds to both TNF-alpha and TNF-beta (lymphotoxin-alpha).
- It prevents TNF from binding to its cell-surface receptors.
- This renders the bound TNF biologically inactive within the system.
- It inhibits the inflammatory cascade in synovial and dermal tissues.