Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Study indicates how drug efficacy can be increased by manipulating the signalling mechanism

Researchers believe they have found a way to change the action of 60 percent of currently available medications, in some cases making them many times more effective, according to an article published in the April 21 edition of the journal Science. The discovery has the potential to improve treatments for diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression and arthritis. The study describes a new way to manipulate perhaps the most important signaling mechanism in human cells: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs).

28 Apr 2006

Enhancing the function of the protein SOCS3 could be a more effective way to regulate cell responses

A discovery made at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute provides new insights into enhancing the function of the protein SOCS3, which regulates the response of cells to external stimuli.

26 Apr 2006

Alternative anti-inflammatory drugs promise less cardiovascular problems

New type of anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce COX-2 cardiovascular problems, says Queen's researcher

25 Apr 2006

Swedish ACI method of cartilage repair gives excellent durability

As the population ages, arthritis will become more prevalent. It would be helpful to know more about the causes and treatments of cartilage wear.

25 Apr 2006

Foot problems change social behaviour - but it doesn't have to be that way

With the average person taking 9,000 steps per day -- more than 600 miles each year -- when feet start to hurt or change in shape, it can really impact a person's life. In fact, according to a new survey, of people who report having foot issues in the past five years, two out of three report that these foot issues, which range from blisters to bunions and heel pain, have changed the kind of shoes they wear, how active they are, where and how far they walk, and so on.

23 Apr 2006

Discovery points to more effective ways of regulating cell signalling

A discovery made at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute provides new insights into enhancing the function of the protein SOCS3, which regulates the response of cells to external stimuli.

20 Apr 2006

Study could lead to development of differential treatments for pain in men versus women

A study conducted by investigators at Georgia State University and the Atlanta-based Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) reports that anatomical and functional differences in the brain may explain sex differences in the experience of pain and in the effects of certain drugs on pain.

19 Apr 2006

Herbal medicines may be as effective as pain medication for short-term low back pain

The herbal preparations devil's claw, white willow bark and cayenne plasters may be as effective as pain medication for short-term low back pain and are better than placebo, a new systematic review of studies has found.

18 Apr 2006

Possible alternatives found for Vioxx and Celebrex

According to Canadian and American researchers they have identified one reason why drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx - once popular for the treatment of pain and inflammation - cause heart problems.

18 Apr 2006

Researchers clarify the mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have clarified the mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems, in multiple animal models.

18 Apr 2006

217 new targets for anti-cancer drugs

By identifying novel genes critical to cancer progression, biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have expanded the number of drug targets researchers have available for study to find ways to stop tumors in their tracks.

18 Apr 2006

Potent induction of chondrocytic differentiation of human adipose-derived adult stem cells by bone morphogenetic protein 6

A novel growth factor significantly improves the ability of specialized stem cells derived from human fat to be transformed into cartilage cells, according to Duke University Medical Center and Pratt School of Engineering researchers.

16 Apr 2006

First evidence that circulating endothelial microparticles lead to heart valve disease

Under normal physiological conditions, low levels of microparticles are continually being shed into the blood from the endothelium - the cells that line the inside of blood vessels and some organs -and appear to cause no problems.

13 Apr 2006

IL-25 both promotes and limits inflammatory diseases

The same signal responsible for promoting the type of immune responses that cause asthma and allergy can also limit the type of inflammation associated with debilitating diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and multiple sclerosis, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

13 Apr 2006

Study assesses formularies across Medicare drug plans

Medicare's new private stand-alone drug plans vary significantly - in terms of covered drugs, out-of-pocket costs for specific medications, and restrictions placed on the use of certain drugs - according to a new analysis released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

11 Apr 2006

Lubricin research points to future therapies for osteoarthritis

New evidence to explain how the body's natural joint lubricant prevents the wear and tear that can lead to osteoarthritis has been uncovered by researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering.The findings may lead to new methods for treating arthritis, the researchers said.

11 Apr 2006

Alcohol use, comorbidity, and mortality

Older men who drink as few as two drinks twice a week and also have diseases that could be worsened by alcohol or cause problems with medications taken while drinking alcohol have higher death rates, as compared to men who either drink less or may drink more but don't have such comorbidities.

11 Apr 2006

Study illustrates contribution of obesity to decreased mobility in high functioning older women with osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, common among older adults, is strongly linked to late-life disability, but the process by which this happens has not been well studied.

11 Apr 2006

Drug trial disaster will discourage future volunteers

According to the British government agency responsible for medical safety, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), no evidence has been found to suggest there were any problems with the manufacturing of a drug which left six volunteers seriously ill.

6 Apr 2006

MIT look at how cells make life-or-death decisions

The biological processes underlying diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer are fundamentally linked, and should be linked in how they are treated with drugs, a series of MIT studies indicates.

6 Apr 2006

Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Study indicates how drug efficacy can be increased by manipulating the signalling mechanism

Enhancing the function of the protein SOCS3 could be a more effective way to regulate cell responses

Alternative anti-inflammatory drugs promise less cardiovascular problems

Swedish ACI method of cartilage repair gives excellent durability

Foot problems change social behaviour - but it doesn't have to be that way

Discovery points to more effective ways of regulating cell signalling

Study could lead to development of differential treatments for pain in men versus women

Herbal medicines may be as effective as pain medication for short-term low back pain

Possible alternatives found for Vioxx and Celebrex

Researchers clarify the mechanism by which drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx cause heart problems

217 new targets for anti-cancer drugs

Potent induction of chondrocytic differentiation of human adipose-derived adult stem cells by bone morphogenetic protein 6

First evidence that circulating endothelial microparticles lead to heart valve disease

IL-25 both promotes and limits inflammatory diseases

Study assesses formularies across Medicare drug plans

Lubricin research points to future therapies for osteoarthritis

Alcohol use, comorbidity, and mortality

Study illustrates contribution of obesity to decreased mobility in high functioning older women with osteoarthritis

Drug trial disaster will discourage future volunteers

MIT look at how cells make life-or-death decisions

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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