Ohl K, et al. - Researchers investigated the role of cAMP response element modulator (CREM)α in the regulation of effector T cells within the inflammatory joint. They obtained synovial fluid cells from oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients and used flow cytometry to analyze CREM expression. Incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with synovial fluid was followed by their analysis in the presence and absence of CREM using siRNA experiments for T cell phenotypes. They also carried out ovalbumin-induced T cell dependent arthritis experiments to validate the role of CREM in vivo. Findings revealed CREM to be a driver of an inflammatory phenotype of T cells in JIA, in addition to its role in SLE T cells.