Arthritis News and Research

Latest Arthritis News and Research

Researchers identify cellular/molecular defect in T cell regulatory pathway

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have identified a defect in the T cell regulatory pathway which normally controls autoreactive T cells that attack the body's own tissues and organs. A majority of people with Type 1 diabetes who were tested in the study were found to have the newly-identified cellular/molecular defect, and the researchers were able to successfully correct the defect in-vitro.

27 Sep 2010

GBS pathogen suppresses immune cell function in newborn infants: Research

Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacterial pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in newborn infants, is able to shut down immune cell function in order to promote its own survival, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

27 Sep 2010

Alzheimer's treatments may prove effective if started in middle-aged people: Study

Memory lapses that occur with normal aging are a source of worry for many who fear Alzheimer's disease. Now a new Mayo Clinic-led study published in the July 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the carriers of a common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease begin to have memory declines in their mid-50s, far earlier than previously thought.

27 Sep 2010

Calcitonin combination therapy may help treat osteoarthritis: Study

Tarsa Therapeutics, Inc. and Unigene Laboratories, Inc. today reported preclinical data showing that calcitonin may have synergistic effects in combination with other drugs in reducing the collagen degradation associated with osteoarthritis.

27 Sep 2010

Amgen announces voluntary recall of certain lots of EPOGEN and PROCRIT

Amgen announced today that certain lots of EPOGEN® and PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) vials are being voluntarily recalled from specialty distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies and healthcare providers as a precaution. The product that is being recalled may contain extremely thin glass flakes (lamellae) that are barely visible in most cases. The lamellae result from the interaction of the formulation with glass vials over the shelf life of the product.

24 Sep 2010

Team to identify safety risks with care in homes

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing professor, Dr. Diane Doran, was awarded more than $1 million for research that will help protect the safety of over 900,000 Canadians who receive health care services in their homes every day.

24 Sep 2010

Arthritis Foundation announces major step in passing bi-partisan arthritis legislation

The Arthritis Foundation announces a major step in passing bi-partisan arthritis legislation in more than 30 years. The Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act (H.R. 1210/S. 984) was approved today by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and will now go to the House of Representatives to vote on passage.

24 Sep 2010

New federal funds to create first national patient registry for pulmonary fibrosis

During the 8th annual National Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) Awareness Week, Sept. 11 to 18, the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) met with over 45 legislators, both Representatives and Senators, and as of this date there are 139 House co-sponsors for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act (PFREA) to fund research on this deadly disease.

24 Sep 2010

Sensitizing effect of anger and sadness not limited to fibromyalgia patients

Researchers from Utrecht University who studied the effect of negative emotions on pain perception in women with and without fibromyalgia found that anger and sadness amplified pain equally in both groups. Full findings are now online and will publish in the October 2010 print issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

24 Sep 2010

BioSeek signs two-year agreement with Cellzome

Asterand plc, a leading provider of human tissue and human tissue-based research services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies engaged in drug discovery research, today announced that its subsidiary BioSeek, LLC, a pioneer in the application of predictive human biology to drug discovery, has signed a two-year agreement with Cellzome.

24 Sep 2010

Interleukin Genetics announces clinical study data on osteoarthritis progression

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. and the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role of genetic factors in osteoarthritis progression which showed patients with radiographic evidence of knee osteoarthritis who inherited a specific pattern of genetic variations in the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene were almost twice as likely to progress to severe disease as other patients.

23 Sep 2010

Phase II study: Fostamatinib improves outcomes in RA patients

AstraZeneca's new oral syk inhibitor, fostamatinib (R788), recently in-licensed from Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., significantly improved outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who responded inadequately to ongoing treatment with methotrexate, according to phase II study data published in The New England Journal of Medicine today.

23 Sep 2010

Biogen Idec concurs with FDA on safety monitoring for Gilenya through REMS

Biogen Idec is committed to improving the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and no company is doing more for these patients. There has been a desire within the MS community for an oral treatment for a long time, and the approval of Gilenya has made this a reality.

23 Sep 2010

Evotec AG collaborates with Almirall for ion channel validation in respiratory diseases

Evotec AG today announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Almirall S.A. to identify small molecule modulators of an ion channel target, selected by Almirall, involved in respiratory diseases.

23 Sep 2010

Prevalence of periodontal disease in US higher than originally estimated

The prevalence of periodontal disease in the United States may be significantly higher than originally estimated. Research published in the Journal of Dental Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) suggests that the prevalence of periodontal disease may have been underestimated by as much as 50 percent. The implication is that more American adults may suffer from moderate to severe gum disease than previously thought.

22 Sep 2010

Study links progressive osteoarthritis to IL-1Ra gene variations

Scientists from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Interleukin Genetics, Inc. announced today findings from a large clinical study to evaluate the role played by genetic factors in the worsening of osteoarthritis.

22 Sep 2010

Phenex Pharmaceuticals announces closure of Series C financing round

Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG, a drug discovery and development company headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, today announced the closure of its Series C financing round with a volume of 6 M € (7,8 M USD) bringing the total amount of funds raised to 17,2 M € (22,4 M USD).

21 Sep 2010

Health Canada issues license for IgX PLEX Celiac test kit

SQI Diagnostics Inc., a medical systems automation company focused on evolving laboratory-based biomarker testing, announced today that Health Canada has issued a medical device license for its automated IgX PLEX Celiac(TM) microarray test kit that runs on the Company's automated SQiDworks(TM) platform. The license allows the Company to market and sell the IgX PLEX Celiac product in Canada.

21 Sep 2010

New genes associated with osteoarthritis progression

21 Sep 2010

ChemoCentryx presents CCX140 clinical data at EASD

ChemoCentryx, Inc., today announced that it reported positive preclinical and Phase I study results at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). CCX140, a novel, orally bioavailable small molecule antagonist of the chemokine receptor CCR2, improved metabolic function while significantly reducing inflammatory macrophages found in adipose tissue in an animal model, and was well tolerated in Phase I clinical trials.

21 Sep 2010