Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Latest Rheumatoid Arthritis News and Research

Researchers identify gene behind rheumatoid arthritis

University of Manchester researchers have identified a genetic variant in a region on chromosome 6 that is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common inflammatory arthritis affecting 387,000 people in the UK.

From The University of Manchester 5 Nov 2007

Most people living longer except rheumatoid arthritis sufferers

New research by the Mayo Clinic has found that while most people are living longer the same is not true for sufferers from rheumatoid arthritis.

30 Oct 2007

Comparison of mortality trends among rheumatoid arthritis subjects

An autoimmune inflammatory disease that takes a progressive toll on the heart, kidney and liver as well as the joints, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a high risk of early death.

29 Oct 2007

Extensive review supports safety of silicone breast implants

An exhaustive review - the first in almost a decade, including the latest evidence on the health effects of silicone breast implants - finds no increase in the risk of cancers, connective tissue diseases, or other serious chronic diseases.

28 Oct 2007

New imaging technique ensures rapid profiling of autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis

Using a new imaging technique, a fast and accurate profile of autoantibodies present in the blood serum of rheumatic patients can be made.

25 Oct 2007

New understanding of vagus nerve's role in regulating inflammation

It used to be dogma that the brain was shut away from the actions of the immune system, shielded from the outside forces of nature.

24 Oct 2007

Gold-like drugs to treat arthritis

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center may have solved the mystery surrounding the healing properties of gold - a discovery they say may renew interest in gold salts as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

22 Oct 2007

Lilly and MacroGenics to develop and commercialize teplizumab

Eli Lilly and Company and MacroGenics, Inc. have announced that the two companies have entered into a global strategic alliance to develop and commercialize teplizumab, a humanized anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, as well as other potential next generation anti-CD3 molecules for use in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

19 Oct 2007

Abbott creates one molecule with two antibody functions

Abbott has reported that its scientists are the first to discover a proprietary technology that combines the function and specificity of two or more monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) into one molecular entity that demonstrates drug-like properties and manufacturing feasibility.

19 Oct 2007

Phase II map of human genetic variation

The International HapMap Consortium today published analyses of its second-generation map of human genetic variation, which contains three times more markers than the initial version unveiled in 2005.

18 Oct 2007

Myositis featured on Discovery Channel

LaShan Davis, featured this week on The Discovery Channel's “Mystery Diagnosis” spent three 10-hour days filming the segment and reliving the terrifying time she spent waiting for her “mystery disease” to be diagnosed.

17 Oct 2007

Knee buckling common in older adults

Knee buckling which is a sudden "giving way" of the knee is not an uncommon event particularly for older people.

16 Oct 2007

Genes that increase rheumatoid arthritis risk found

Researchers in the United States and Sweden have identified a genetic region associated with increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the joints that affects an estimated 2.1 million Americans.

8 Oct 2007

Specific immune deficiency pinpointed as likely cause of ulcerative colitis

In a series of mouse experiments, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have pinpointed a specific immune deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic, sometimes severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a million Americans.

4 Oct 2007

Occupational exposures in farming and industry may be linked to death from autoimmune disease

A new study examined the possible associations between occupation and the risk of dying from systemic autoimmune diseases and found that occupational exposures in farming and industry may be linked to higher death rates from these diseases.

29 Sep 2007

Meditation for rheumatoid arthritis

A revered contemplative practice for centuries, meditation has recently inspired research into its therapeutic value for everything from anxiety disorders to heart attack prevention.

29 Sep 2007

Transposons could make for safer gene delivery system

To move a gene from point A to point B, scientists and gene therapists have two proven options: a virus, which can effectively ferry genes of interest into cells, and a plasmid, an engineered loop of DNA that can do the same thing, albeit usually only on a short-term basis.

27 Sep 2007

Do static magnets help reduce pain?

Static magnets are widely marketed to the public with claims of effectiveness for relieving pain.

25 Sep 2007

Rheumatoid arthritis genes

A paper published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine provides strong evidence that one specific part of the genome is associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

18 Sep 2007

LL37 peptide provides a new potential target for autoimmune disease

A human peptide that acts as a natural antibiotic against invading microbes can also bind to the body's own DNA and trigger an immune response in the absence of an infection, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in an early online publication in Nature.

17 Sep 2007