Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

Depression and inflammation linked to rheumatoid arthritis pain

Researchers at Nagoya City University and Nagoya University Graduate Schools of Medicine in Japan studied the interrelationship between levels of depression symptoms, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and pain, confirming a significant positive association between depressive symptoms and CRP level in RA.

4 Aug 2009

Early inflammatory signs of osteoarthritis

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are hoping to find out if inflammation of the knee could be an early sign of osteoarthritis - a condition which leads to pain, stiffness, swelling and disability.

23 Jul 2009

FDA approves Onsolis pain reliever for cancer patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Onsolis, medication intended for certain patients with cancer to help manage breakthrough pain – severe flares of pain that break through regular pain medication.

16 Jul 2009

Research pinpoints antibodies that may prevent Alzheimer's

Antibodies to a wide range of substances that can aggregate to form plaques, such as those found in Alzheimer's patients, have been identified in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy people. Levels of these antibodies decline with age and, in Alzheimer's patients, with increasing progression of the disease.

6 Jul 2009

Discovery of new trigger for chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

A signal molecule made by the human body that triggers the immune system into action may be important in rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research published today in Nature Medicine. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London, say that if scientists could block this signal, it may be possible to develop more effective arthritis treatments.

29 Jun 2009

Gene expression differences could bring better classification and treatment of juvenile arthritis

Scientists have discovered gene expression differences that could lead to better ways to classify, predict outcome, and treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Eventually such findings could enable doctors to target more aggressive treatment to children at risk of more severe arthritis, while those likely to have milder disease could be spared the stronger treatments that carry a greater risk of side effects. The researchers were supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jun 2009

Golimumab shows promise for rheumatoid arthritis

Golimumab, a new tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor reduces the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in patients who have previously received any other TNF-α inhibitor, and might be a good option for patients who have inadequate responses to one or two other TNF-α inhibitors, finds an Article published Online first and in this week's edition of The Lancet.

28 Jun 2009

FDA approves injectable Ibuprofen

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Caldolor, the first injectable dosage form of the common pain medication ibuprofen, to treat pain and fever.

11 Jun 2009

Surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is often 'too little, too late'

A new study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveals that one of the most common conditions caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is best treated surgically, sooner rather than later.

2 Jun 2009

Discovery of enzyme involved in inflammatory bowel disease

Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, working with biochemists, geneticists and clinicians at the University of Bern, Switzerland and in the United Kingdom, have discovered an enzyme that has a key role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

2 Jun 2009

Discovery of faulty genes could reveal risk of Paget's disease

The discovery of faulty genes by Edinburgh researchers could help people with Paget's disease, a painful bone condition. Dr Omar Albagha has found three genes associated with the disease which, if detected early enough in people, could hasten diagnosis and treatment.

26 May 2009

Discovery of two important molecules that underlie the pathology of lupus, particularly kidney disease

Kidney damage associated with the autoimmune disease lupus is linked to a malfunction of immune cells that causes them to congregate in and attack the organs, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered in a mouse study.

22 Apr 2009

Ardea Biosciences announces positive results from a phase 1 study of lead candidate for hyperuricemia and gout

Ardea Biosciences, Inc. has announced positive results from a Phase 1 study in normal, healthy volunteers of RDEA594, its lead product candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout, and a pilot Phase 2a proof-of-concept study in gout patients of RDEA594's prodrug, RDEA806 (RDEA806 is converted to RDEA594 in the body).

20 Apr 2009

$Pharmacyclics starts clinical trial of novel oral Btk inhibitor for refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma$

Pharmacyclics starts clinical trial of novel oral Btk inhibitor for refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Pharmacyclics, Inc. has announced that it has begun treating patients in a Phase 1 dose-escalation study to evaluate the safety and tolerability of PCI-32765, an orally available, selective inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or Btk, as a potential treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

13 Apr 2009

Health Canada approves Simponi (golimumab) for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. and Schering-Plough Corporation has announced that Health Canada has granted approval of Simponi (golimumab) as a once-monthly, subcutaneous therapy for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

13 Apr 2009

Trial of new biologic agent to treat psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis affects about 11 percent of patients with psoriasis.

8 Apr 2009

New nanotechnology treatment for drug addiction

A precise, new nanotechnology treatment for drug addiction may be on the horizon as the result of research conducted at the University at Buffalo.

23 Mar 2009

Almost half of all adolescents suffer low back pain

A study led by Catalan researchers confirms that 40% of adolescents have low back pain at least once a month. However, the real effect of this pain is minimal in 90% of cases. Another important piece of information: only 35% of adolescents have not had any type of pain in the last month.

4 Mar 2009

Facts about osteoporosis are staggering

75 million baby boomers are approaching the age where the disease is tightening its grip on their bones.

26 Feb 2009

Immune system found to be more versatile than previously thought

By studying how mice fight off infection by intestinal worms - a condition that affects more than 1 billion people worldwide - scientists have discovered that the immune system is more versatile than has long been thought.

26 Feb 2009