A Novel Strategy For Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Main Category: Arthritis / Rheumatology
Also Included In: Immune System / Vaccines
Article Date: 15 Sep 2006 - 2:00 PDT

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A research paper published this week in the international open access journal PLoS Medicine describes a possible new experimental therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The researchers, led by Rikard Holmdahl from Lund University, exploits a new finding in a mouse model that lack of reactive oxygen species makes arthritis worse rather than, as had been expected, better in a mouse model with arthritis. Reactive oxygen species are thought to be important in defense against pathogens. The researcher tested phytol, which increased oxidative burst in vivo, and found that it improved the arthritis in the mouse model with arthritis. In testing, also in mice, phytol showed comparative effectiveness to standard therapies for arthritis such as anti-tumour necrosis factor-a and methotrexate. The authors conclude that these results "suggest a novel pathway of autoimmune inflammatory disease and possibly a novel therapeutic strategy." A Perspective article by Andrew Cope, from Imperial College London, discusses the study's findings further.

Citation: Hultqvist M, Olofsson P, Gelderman KA, Holmberg J, Holmdahl R (2006) A new arthritis therapy with oxidative burst inducers. PLoS Med 3(9): e348.

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CONTACT:
Rickard Holmdahl
Medical Inflammation Research
Experimental Medical Science
I11 BMC
Lund Universitet
Lund, 221 84 Sweden

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