Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Researchers discover how statins promote breakdown of plaque in arteries

In a new study, NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have discovered how cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins promote the breakdown of plaque in the arteries. The study was published online by the journal PLoS One on December 6, 2011.

14 Dec 2011

NYUCI experts present latest research findings about hematologic cancers at 53rd ASH meeting

Experts from the NYU Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center at NYU Langone Medical Center, presented their latest research findings about hematologic cancers at the 53rd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition held December 10-13, 2011 in San Diego, California.

14 Dec 2011

Research describes advantages of new vaccine adjuvant

New research from the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Leadbetter at the Trudeau Institute may lead to a whole new class of vaccines. Dr. Leadbetter's lab has discovered new properties of a potential vaccine adjuvant that suggest it could be useful for enhancing protection against a number of different infections.

13 Dec 2011

Scientists discover how intestinal tract influences B cells to prevent infection

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found an explanation for how the intestinal tract influences a key component of the immune system to prevent infection, offering a potential clue to the cause of autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

13 Dec 2011

Reata, Abbott partner to develop and commercialize AIMs for chronic diseases

Abbott and Reata Pharmaceuticals today announced that they have entered into a worldwide collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize Reata's portfolio of second-generation oral antioxidant inflammation modulators.

12 Dec 2011

Alios BioPharma, Vertex initiate ALS-2200 and ALS-2158 clinical study in HCV

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Alios BioPharma, Inc. today announced the initiation of two clinical studies for the nucleotide analogues ALS-2200 and ALS-2158, which are inhibitors of the hepatitis C NS5B polymerase.

12 Dec 2011

Ovary removal in younger women may lead to low-bone mineral density, arthritis

Having both ovaries removed before age 45 is strongly associated with low-bone mineral density and arthritis in later years, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins oncologists and epidemiologists. The analysis covered several thousand women who took part in a U.S. government-sponsored, multiyear national health study, and excluded women whose ovaries were removed due to cancer.

9 Dec 2011

Researchers discover potential target for cherubism

Cancer researchers studying genetic mutations that cause leukemia have discovered a connection to the rare disease cherubism, an inherited facial bone disorder in children.

9 Dec 2011

Study: Tart cherry juice improves overall sleep efficiency

Americans seeking a better night's sleep may need to look no further than tart cherry juice, according to a new study in the European Journal of Nutrition. An international team of researchers found that when adults had two daily glasses of tart cherry juice, they slept 39 minutes longer, on average, and had up to 6 percent increase in overall sleep efficiency (significantly less non-sleep time in bed), compared to when they drank a non-cherry, fruit cocktail.

9 Dec 2011

ChemoCentryx commences CCX140 Phase II trial in diabetic nephropathy

ChemoCentryx, Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trial for CCX140, an orally-administered small molecule for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.

9 Dec 2011

Ampio awarded composition of matter patent for Ampion in Europe

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company that discovers and develops new uses for previously approved drugs and new molecular entities, today announced receipt of notification of the granting of a European patent with broad claims directed to compositions containing DA-DKP, a cyclic dipeptide diketopiperazine which is the active ingredient of Ampion™.

7 Dec 2011

FDA modifies requirements of Amgen's Nplate REMS Program

Amgen today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has modified the requirements of the Nplate (romiplostim) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program.

7 Dec 2011

PDUFA goal date of NDA for Protalix's taliglucerase alfa extended

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc., announced today that it received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the FDA has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of the New Drug Application (NDA) for taliglucerase alfa to May 1, 2012, a three-month extension from the previous PDUFA date of February 1, 2012.

6 Dec 2011

Tips to keep kids safe during cold-weather

Cold winds, icy rain and, in some places, snow—Old Man Winter has arrived. His entry reminds us to get our furnaces checked and winterize our car, but what about the kids? "Children are even more vulnerable than adults to cold-weather and winter-related injuries," said Dr. Karen Judy, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System and professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

6 Dec 2011

Stem cells for the damaged heart

Stem cell research got its latest boost. For the first time, stem cells were injected into the hearts of humans who had suffered serious heart damage, and patients improved dramatically. The scientists found that the stem cells grew into new heart cells to replace the damaged tissue.

5 Dec 2011

Factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery

Investigators from Hospital for Special Surgery have identified factors that are associated with an increased risk of in-hospital falls after total hip or knee replacement surgery.

5 Dec 2011

HRF inhibitors may provide new therapeutic avenue for treatment of asthma and allergies

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology scientists have identified the histamine releasing factor (HRF) molecule as a promising target for developing new treatments for a number of allergic reactions including asthma.

3 Dec 2011

La Jolla researchers create first cellular movies showing destruction underlying type 1 diabetes

A war is being waged in the pancreases of millions of people throughout the world. The siege leads to the development of type 1 diabetes and has been a battlefield largely hidden from view-- until now.

3 Dec 2011

White tea, witch hazel and rose have potential health and beauty properties

Age-old remedies could hold the key to treating a wide range of serious medical problems, as well as keeping skin firmer and less wrinkled, according to scientists from London's Kingston University.

2 Dec 2011

Northwestern researchers receive NIAMSD grant to study scleroderma

Northwestern Medicine researchers have received two five-year grants totaling $953,000 from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study scleroderma, an autoimmune disease for which there currently is no cure.

2 Dec 2011