Feature Channels: Arthritis

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Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa and the Norwegian research institute SINTEF are pursuing a new approach to treating arthritis. This is based on a polysaccharide, a long-chain sugar molecule, originating from brown algae. When chemically modified, this "alginate" reduces oxidative stress, has an anti-inflammatory effect in cell culture tests and suppresses the immune reaction against cartilage cells, thereby combating the causes of arthritis. The research is, however, still in its infancy.

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The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center began helping New Mexicans with blood disorders a little more than one year ago. It is the state’s only bone marrow transplant program. The program offers treatment choices for people with lymphoma and myeloma and will expand to help people with other blood disorders.

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A team of engineers and pediatric orthopedic surgeons are using 3D printing to help train surgeons and shorten surgeries for the most common hip disorder found in children ages 9 to 16. In a recent study, researchers showed that allowing surgeons to prep on a 3D-printed model of the patient’s hip joint cut by about 25 percent the amount of time needed for surgery when compared to a control group.

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Announcement for a new Scientific Director at CIHR

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Press can register here to livestream this special session through Newswise Live on Monday, July 31 at 7:30 PM EDT

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A professor at the University of Birmingham has been appointed to a key role focusing on developing research to improve treatment and outcomes for patients with arthritis.

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Pain medicine specialists at Rush have helped develop, and are among the first in the country to provide, a noninvasive treatment for knee arthritis that uses cooled radio energy to target and interrupt pain signals.  Known as “Coolief,” the procedure can provide several months of relief from chronic arthritis pain for patients for whom surgery is not an option.

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An international US-Danish team of scientists, led by Damini Jawaheer, Ph.D. at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, has identified a possible link between type I interferons and a natural improvement of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during pregnancy. These findings could have significant implications in the development of safer therapies for RA. This study entitled, “Pregnancy-induced gene expression changes in vivo among women with rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study,” was published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

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In the first such collaboration of its kind, an expert panel of rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons has developed guidelines for the management of anti-rheumatic medication in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement. The goal was to lower the risk of infection, which is linked to the use of the medications.

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About a quarter of Americans suffer hardening of the valves by age 65 and about half by 85. Without a suitable drug, the only treatment is surgical replacement.

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The American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) updated clinical guideline for the prevention and treatment of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis is now available online. The guideline provides recommendations on assessing fracture risk and treatment for adults and special patient populations.

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Sales of the essential oil copaiba [koh-pey-buh] are increasing, at least in part, because more than 54 million Americans suffer from arthritis. The traditional way to treat arthritis is using NSAIDs and COXIBs, which are not without adverse events. For arthritis sufferers, copaiba may turn out to be a silver bullet or, perhaps, snake oil.

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Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have given new superpowers to a lifesaving antibiotic called vancomycin, an advance that could eliminate the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections for years to come.

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A growing number of patients who suffer severe ankle arthritis are undergoing ankle replacement surgery, enabling them to walk again without pain. Helping drive the trend are new implants and surgical techniques that are improving outcomes.

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A study from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting on June 5 in Chicago shows that asymptomatic women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer often undergo advanced imaging and other tests that provide little if any medical benefit, could have harmful effects and may increase their financial burden.

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The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today expressed opposition to the Trump Administration’s proposed budget cuts to federal programs and institutions that provide critical resources in the fight against rheumatic diseases, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The rheumatology provider community praised budget proposals to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) and to increase funding for Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs.

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Keck School of Medicine of USC has received a $2.2 million NIH grant to fund research on gene therapy that could help manage challenging bone repairs

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A Cedars-Sinai-led team of investigators has successfully repaired severe limb fractures in laboratory animals with an innovative technique that cues bone to regrow its own tissue. If found to be safe and effective in humans, the pioneering method of combining ultrasound, stem cell and gene therapies could eventually replace grafting as a way to mend severely broken bones.

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Using CRISPR technology, a team of researchers led by Farshid Guilak, PhD, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, rewired stem cells' genetic circuits to produce an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug when the cells encounter inflammation. The technique eventually could act as a vaccine for arthritis and other chronic conditions.

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The decision by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to suspend premium processing of H-1B visas for doctors, specialists, and other medical professionals poses an immediate and dangerous threat to chronically ill patients living in rural and underserved communities throughout the United States, warned the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today in a letter to the Trump Administration.

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Lindsey Konkel, a New Jersey-based freelance reporter, received the Endocrine Society’s annual Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism, the Society announced today.

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The Endocrine Society and Medscape announced today a new partnership that brings together the Society’s expertise and Medscape’s innovative, peer-to-peer digital platforms and award-winning content to provide clinicians with the latest guidance and most relevant insights on diagnosing and treating diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, infertility, and other endocrine disorders.

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The Endocrine Society is proudly partnering with the March for Science, which will bring together more than 100 scientific organizations on Saturday, April 22 to celebrate science and rally public support for publicly funded research.

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Music therapy has been found to decrease pain in patients recovering from spine surgery, compared to a control group of patients who received standard postoperative care alone.

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American College of Rheumatology President Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD, released a statement this morning expressing concern about the American Health Care Act's (AHCA) age-based tax credits and its failure to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board.

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Mayo Clinic researchers have uncovered three new agents to add to the emerging repertoire of drugs that aim to delay the onset of aging by targeting senescent cells – cells that contribute to frailty and other age-related conditions.

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Current treatments for rheumatoid arthritis relieve the inflammation that leads to joint destruction, but the immunologic defect that triggers the inflammation persists to cause relapses. Now the results of a new study suggest that clinical trials for new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drugs should shift from their sole focus on relieving inflammation to eliminating the B cells that produce these antibodies.

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Loyola Medicine orthopaedic surgeon Nickolas Garbis, MD, has been elected to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

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Chikungunya virus causes a painful, debilitating arthritis for which there is currently no treatment. A new study has found that combining a drug for rheumatoid arthritis with one that targets the chikungunya virus can eliminate the signs of arthritis in mice in the early stage of the disease.

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Polyhedral boranes have become the basis for the creation of cancer therapies, enhanced drug delivery and new contrast agents needed for radioimaging and diagnosis. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri has discovered an entirely new class of materials based on boranes that might have widespread potential applications, including improved diagnostic tools for cancer and other diseases as well as low-cost solar energy cells.

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Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have been awarded approximately $1.8 million from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health to develop a series of drug candidates for a number of diseases, including heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and several neurodegenerative disorders.

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Researchers have found that a Chinese herbal regimen called TSY-1 (Tianshengyuan-1) TSY-1 increased Telomerase activity in normal blood cells but decreased it in cancer cells. Telomerase is an enzyme responsible for the production of telomeres, which play an important role in the regulation of normal cell division. These results indicate that Telomerase-based treatments may be of significance in treatments for both blood cell deficiency and cancer.

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Investigators at Johns Hopkins report they have new evidence that a bacterium known to cause chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory “autoimmune” response characteristic of chronic, joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new findings have important implications for prevention and treatment of RA, say the researchers.

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New research from BYU exercise science professors finds that pro-inflammatory molecules actually go down in the knee joint after running.

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The number of shoulder replacement surgeries has skyrocketed nationally and at Loyola University Medical Center as technology improves and aging Baby Boomers seek to relieve pain and restore function to arthritic shoulders.

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald has appointed Thomas A. Cavalieri, DO, Dean and Professor of Medicine at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, to serve on the VA National Academic Affiliations Council.

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The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) announced the 2016 recipients of its Master of the ACR designation, Awards of Distinction, and Distinguished Fellow Award honors during the opening lecture of the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. These recognitions are given annually to members who exhibit outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology.

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A new study shows a link between mothers with rheumatoid arthritis and children with epilepsy. The study is published in the November 16, 2016, online issue of Neurology®, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s own immune system to attack the joints. It differs from osteoarthritis, which is caused by wear and tear on the joints.

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A study finds that smoking or being overweight makes it more difficult for patients with rheumatoid arthritis to achieve optimal control of inflammation and symptoms, despite standard of care treatment.

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A presentation at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, by social workers from Hospital for Special Surgery, focused on the impact of living with a rheumatic illness, how patients' culture and socioeconomic conditions come into play, and the psychological effect on clinicians who treat chronic conditions on a daily basis.

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A large global survey finds gaps in communication between doctors who treat rheumatoid arthritis and their patients, even though most physicians believe good communication and patient engagement are important to achieve the best outcomes.

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A Mayo Clinic study is shedding light on why some rheumatoid arthritis patients respond poorly when treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, part of a class of drugs called biologics.

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Over a 15-year period, people with RA may have double the risk of CV events as those in the general population, rates that are similar to people with type-2 diabetes, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Patients with RA whose rheumatologists and primary-care physicians coordinate their care have a higher likelihood of being screened for hyperlipidemia, a key risk factor for coronary heart disease, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Distinct gene expression signatures in rheumatoid arthritis patients could help rheumatologists predict how these individuals will respond to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, and may one day enable a more personalized approach to RA therapy.

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The gut microbiomes of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome show higher levels of phospholipid-producing bacteria, and this findings point to microbes being a trigger for this life-threatening disease, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Lupus patients who are African-American or Asian, or those who have attained only a high school education or less, had longer delays in seeing a rheumatologist or nephrologist for a confirmed diagnosis than other groups, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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A combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and TNF-inhibitors may help slow down spine damage in ankylosing spondylitis, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Outcomes such as pain, function, range of motion, and strength after total hip arthroplasty, or joint replacement surgery, are different for men & women, which could lead to the development of sex-specific rehabilitation programs, according to new research findings presented this week at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.

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Rheumatoid arthritis patients who keep using their disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs prior to surgery do not face an increased risk of infection after their procedures, according to new research findings presented this week at the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington.