Rheumatoid Arthritis news from FierceBioResearcher

It's long been known that an overabundance of the immune chemical TNF alpha destroys cartilage and bone in rheumatoid arthritis patients and cuts their supply of bone-building osteoblasts. New Read more...

The R&D wing at Sanofi-Aventis is turning to China to find new ways to fight cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. The French pharma giant wants to forge a half dozen research partnerships with Read more...

Scientists have successfully tested a new gene therapy approach to treating pain and other symptoms linked to rheumatoid arthritis. They took an adeno-associated virus--a standard delivery tool in gene therapy--to transport the mu-opioid receptor gene to the joints of afflicted mice. Those receptors facilitate the entry of the body's natural painkillers into cells and the more of them a patient has around affected joints the more responsive they are to the natural approach. Dr. Stephanos …

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A research team of scientists from Biogen Idec and the University of Geneva say they have found a new pathway to treat rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that affects up to one percent of the world's population. Their work indicates that inhibiting the TWEAK molecule can interrupt the disease. TWEAK is one of the family of molecules known as Tumor Necrosis Factor--or TNF--that plays a big role in the immune system and inflammation. TNF creates the inflammatory proteins cytokines and …

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Two white blood cells known as Th1 and Th2 have long been recognized for their powerful role in directing immune cells to fight infections and some cancers. Now, though, scientists have identified a third white blood cell that works in tandem with Th1 and Th2, and the discovery is promising to shake up research projects for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

- here's the article from AL.com