Bavachin Shows Promise for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis by Targeting Vitamin D Pathways

The following is a summary of recent research into Bavachin for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis:

Background:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease where the immune system attacks joints, causing pain and damage. It also affects how vitamin D works in the body, which can lead to calcium buildup in joints. This study looks at Bavachin (BVN), a natural compound from the plant Psoralea corylifolia, to see if it can help improve vitamin D function and reduce calcium buildup in RA.

What Was Done:

• Scientists used computer models to see how well BVN binds to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) — a key part of the vitamin D system.

• They tested BVN on RA joint cells in the lab to see if it changes VDR levels.

• They also studied how BVN affects RXRα, a partner protein needed for VDR to work properly.

• They checked if BVN reduces calcium deposits and levels of calcium-related proteins in these cells.

What Was Found:

• BVN strongly binds to the vitamin D receptor.

• It increases the amount of VDR and RXRα in RA cells.

• It improves how well these two proteins interact, boosting vitamin D signaling.

• BVN reduces calcium buildup and lowers the activity of proteins that control calcium in the joints.

Conclusion:
Bavachin may help treat RA by fixing problems in vitamin D signaling and preventing harmful calcium buildup in joints.

SOURCE: 

Unlocking the potential of Bavachin in vitamin D receptor cascade modulation for rheumatoid arthritis Chakraborty D, et al. Molecular Biology Report in Springer Nature 2025.