Research article Open Access Published: 27 March 2020 Weiwei Sun1 na1, Jinglan Ma1 na1, Han Zhao1, Chipeng Xiao1, Hao Zhong1, Hanzhi Ling1, Zhen Xie1, Qingqing Tian1, Huaijun Chen1, Tingting Zhang1, Mu Chen1, Shengwei Jin2 & Jianguang Wang1 Arthritis Research & Therapy volume 22, Article number: 61 (2020) Cite this article Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and joint stiffness, finally leading to tissue destruction.