Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Epigenetic changes due to methylation play a key role in altering genes in RA

It's not just our DNA that makes us susceptible to disease and influences its impact and outcome. Scientists are beginning to realize more and more that important changes in genes that are unrelated to changes in the DNA sequence itself - a field of study known as epigenetics - are equally influential.

4 Jul 2012

Current diagnosis and treatment approaches for rheumatoid arthritis

In the realm of deadly and disabling diseases, conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's seem to attract the most media attention. But there are others that take a similarly high toll, and rheumatoid arthritis is one of them, Mayo Clinic researchers say. It is a common cause of disability: 1 of every 5 rheumatoid arthritis patients is unable to work two years after diagnosis, and within five years, that rises to one-third. Life expectancy drops by up to five years.

2 Jul 2012

Study illuminates key step in the journey of inflammation-producing immune cells

Like detectives seeking footprints and other clues on a television "whodunit," science can also benefit from analyzing the tracks of important players in the body's molecular landscape. Klaus Ley, M.D., a scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology, has done just that and illuminated a key step in the journey of inflammation-producing immune cells.

2 Jul 2012

Lexicon announces results from two initial trials of LX4211 for type 2 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the publication of results from two initial trials of LX4211 in patients with type 2 diabetes in the online edition of the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

29 Jun 2012

Inhibiting immune response during initial multi-drug therapy could speed TB treatment time

Inhibiting a key immune response in mice during initial multi-drug treatment for tuberculosis could - paradoxically - shorten treatment time for the highly contagious lung infection according to new research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and the Center for TB Research.

29 Jun 2012

Novo Nordisk, BRI collaborate to speed-up translational research of autoimmune diseases

Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI), a non-profit biomedical research institute in Seattle, Wash., and Novo Nordisk, a global health care company headquartered in Denmark, today announced a three-year collaborative agreement to potentially speed-up translational research of the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus.

29 Jun 2012

Researchers create first animal model for RA

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have created the first animal model that spontaneously develops rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is predisposed towards atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

29 Jun 2012

LUHS among select group of hospitals nationwide to improve breastfeeding rates

Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is among a select group of 90 hospitals nationwide that have been asked to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind initiative to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where they are the lowest.

28 Jun 2012

TB research finds body’s own response helps TB bacteria survive

Inhibiting a key immune response in mice during initial multi-drug treatment for tuberculosis could — paradoxically — shorten treatment time for the highly contagious lung infection according to new research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the Center for TB Research. Shorter duration of drug therapy is key, researchers say, to increase treatment compliance for the growing global health threat posed by the disease.

28 Jun 2012

Dietary fiber can improve gastrointestinal health

A University of Illinois study shows that dietary fiber promotes a shift in the gut toward different types of beneficial bacteria. And the microbes that live in the gut, scientists now believe, can support a healthy gastrointestinal tract as well as affect our susceptibility to conditions as varied as type 2 diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

28 Jun 2012

Data from Infinity’s IPI-145 pre-clinical study on inflammatory diseases

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported preclinical data for IPI-145, the company's oral inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma. The data demonstrate potent PI3K-delta and -gamma inhibition in biochemical, cellular and whole blood assays and activity in multiple preclinical models of inflammatory disease, including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.

28 Jun 2012

Powerful new technique can manipulate the building-block molecules of organic chemistry

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have developed a powerful new technique for manipulating the building-block molecules of organic chemistry. The technique enables chemists to add new functional molecules to previously hard-to-reach positions on existing compounds-making it easier for them to generate new drugs and other organic chemicals.

28 Jun 2012

Anthera announces results from blisibimod Phase 2b study on SLE

Anthera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing drugs to treat serious diseases associated with inflammation and autoimmune disorders, today announced results from the Phase 2b PEARL-SC clinical study in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

28 Jun 2012

Second potential immune checkpoint target for cancer immunotherapy announced by Compugen

Compugen Ltd. (NASDAQ: CGEN) announced today results demonstrating the therapeutic potential of CGEN-15022, a Compugen-discovered B7/CD28-like membrane protein, as an immune checkpoint target for treatment of multiple cancers.

27 Jun 2012

DHA and curcumin help maintain neurological function after degenerative damage

UCLA researchers discovered that a diet enriched with a popular omega-3 fatty acid and an ingredient in curry spice preserved walking ability in rats with spinal-cord injury. Published June 26 in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, the findings suggest that these dietary supplements help repair nerve cells and maintain neurological function after degenerative damage to the neck.

27 Jun 2012

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island to participate in Best Fed Beginnings

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island has been selected to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind national effort to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates are currently the lowest. Rhode Island ranks 35th in the nation for breastfeeding initiation. Women & Infants is the only hospital in New England to be selected for this collaborative.

27 Jun 2012

Simple blood test may help physicians track progression of RA disease activity

A simple blood test may help physicians track the progression of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

27 Jun 2012

Study suggests important role for psychotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis

A study that is published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics suggests an important role for psychotherapy in a severe and debilitating disease, rheumatoid arthritis.

27 Jun 2012

DHA and curcumin preserve walking ability in rats with spinal-cord injury

UCLA researchers discovered that a diet enriched with a popular omega-3 fatty acid and an ingredient of curry spice preserved walking ability in rats with spinal-cord injury. Published June 26 in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, the findings suggest that these dietary supplements help repair nerve cells and maintain neurological function after degenerative damage to the neck.

27 Jun 2012

Positive results from Antares Pharma's VIBEX MTX human factors usability study for RA

Antares Pharma, Inc. today announced positive results from a human factors usability study for VIBEX Methotrexate (MTX), a proprietary auto injector product designed to self-administer a rapid subcutaneous weekly injection of methotrexate for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

26 Jun 2012