Treatment of synovial explants from RA patients with tofacitinib (1,000 nM, 72 h) inhibited the production of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tyrosine kinase with Ig and EGF (epidermal growth factor) homology domains (TIE-2) and MMP1 as well as decreased invasion and outgrowth of synovial fibroblasts from synovial explants (37). Here, IL6 is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.