Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Could arthritis wonder drugs provide clues for all disease?

Drugs that have helped treat millions of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers may hold the key to many more medical conditions, including atherosclerosis - a leading cause of heart disease - says the researcher who jointly invented and developed them.

From The University of Manchester 17 Jul 2008

Foot orthoses reduce foot pain caused by arthritis

Custom-made insoles known as foot orthoses can reduce foot pain caused by arthritis, overly prominent big toe joints and highly arched feet, a new systematic review shows.

16 Jul 2008

New center for protein therapeutics formed by UB pharmaceutical scientists

Pharmaceutical researchers at the University at Buffalo have joined forces with scientists from several of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies to tackle fundamental research questions that need to be answered to advance development of promising protein-based drugs.

15 Jul 2008

UV light therapy is as beneficial for darker skin as lighter skin

An analysis of more than 100 patients has confirmed for the first time that darker-skinned patients benefit as those with lighter skin when given light therapy for morphea and related diseases, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers show.

8 Jul 2008

Genetic link between Crohn's and asthma discovered

Research into the genetic causes of Crohn's disease has revealed that the gene ORMDL3, known to be a risk factor for childhood asthma, is also associated with Crohn's disease, and in the process links between the condition and other diseases have been found.

2 Jul 2008

Caffeine could help prevent multiple sclerosis

A new study is suggesting that having several cups of coffee a day could halt the development of multiple sclerosis (MS).

2 Jul 2008

GILZ protein may have big role in making more bone and less fat

A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. "The pathways are parallel, and the idea is if you can somehow disrupt the fat production pathway, you will get more bone," says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics.

1 Jul 2008

Being born over 10 pounds increases risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis

People who have a birthweight over 10 pounds are twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis when they are adults compared to individuals born with an average birthweight, according to a study published by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery online in advance of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. While the mechanism for this association is unclear, the study identifies a potentially modifiable risk factor and highlights a potential way to decrease the incidence of the disease.

30 Jun 2008

New approach to HIV vaccine research taps Rochester expertise

A new national effort to create a vaccine against HIV will include work by a University of Rochester Medical Center rheumatologist who is an expert on a portion of the immune system that has sometimes gotten short shrift in the fight against HIV.

30 Jun 2008

Discovery of possible new way to block inflammation in autoimmune disease

Researchers from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have identified a promising new target for autoimmune disease treatment - a cell-surface receptor called DR3.

23 Jun 2008

Biological medicine helps more people with rheumatoid arthritis

Patients who have recently developed rheumatoid arthritis respond better to treatment with biological medicine in combination with conventional pharmacological medicine. This according to results of the Swefot national clinical study, which is to be presented at an international rheumatology congress in Paris by scientists from Swedish Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, who conducted the study in association with another 15 rheumatology units in Sweden.

15 Jun 2008

EntreMed receives new patent for 2-Methoxyestradiol analogs

EntreMed, Inc. has announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 7,371,741 covering analogs of 2- methoxyestradiol (2ME2).

11 Jun 2008

Three sequencing companies join 1000 Genomes Project

Leaders of the 1000 Genomes Project announced today that three firms that have pioneered development of new sequencing technologies have joined the international effort to build the most detailed map to date of human genetic variation as a tool for medical research. The new participants are: 454 Life Sciences, a Roche company, Branford, Conn.; Applied Biosystems, an Applera Corp. business, Foster City, Calif.; and Illumina Inc., San Diego.

11 Jun 2008

High prevalence of periodontal disease in rheumatoid arthritis found

Over 1.3 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic, inflammatory disease of the joints. RA is a disabling condition, and can lead to long-term joint damage resulting in persistent pain and loss of function in affected areas. higher prevalence of periodontal disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients

11 Jun 2008

Arthritis drugs used in children to be investigated because of cancer link

Authorities in the United States are investigating certain types of drugs used to treat arthritis and other conditions.

5 Jun 2008

Alcohol halves the risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Research from scientists in Sweden has found that drinking alcohol halves the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

5 Jun 2008

Incidence of melanoma and other malignancies among rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with Methotrexate

A chronic, inflammatory disease of unknown origin, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects about 1 percent of adults worldwide. Marked by joint destruction, RA often leads to disability and diminished quality of life. It can also lead to an early death from cancer.

3 Jun 2008

Silver rings to alleviate symptoms of arthritis

Research by academics at the University of Southampton in collaboration with occupational therapy clinicians into the effectiveness of wearing a particular type of silver ring to alleviate symptoms of arthritis has won an award.

3 Jun 2008

Arana and Greenovation in anti-cancer co-development deal

Arana Therapeutics Limited and Germany-based greenovation Biotech GmbH have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop next generation anti-cancer antibodies.

2 Jun 2008

Meniscal damage and joint malalignment predictors of cartilage loss

Marked by cartilage and bone degradation, progressive knee osteoarthritis (OA) is believed to result in part from a combination of several local mechanical factors. Lack of joint stability, poor joint alignment and injuries to the disks of meniscal tissue that cushion the knee all affect load distribution and the toll to the vulnerable OA knee.

2 Jun 2008