HMGB1 and rheumatoid arthritis: Furthermore, the blockade of HMGB1 release using an anti-HMGB1 monoclonal antibody, competitive antagonist, or short hairpin RNA has already been shown to be effective in various animal models of disease including traumatic brain injury [25], stroke [26], rheumatoid arthritis [27], acute pancreatitis [28], and cancer [29].