Increasingly, methotrexate (MTX) and sulphasalazine (SASP) are used initially 
for second-line therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although SASP and MTX are 
commonly used, the mechanism(s) by which these drugs control the inflammation 
that characterizes RA have remained obscure. Results from my laboratory indicate 
that these agents share a mode of action; the anti-inflammatory effects of both 
SASP and MTX are due, in both in vitro and in vivo studies, to their capacity to 
enhance adenosine release at inflamed sites. This mode of action suggests that 
the development of agents that directly alter adenosine metabolism may lead to 
new, more effective and safer antirheumatic drugs than those currently 
available.