Researchers test treatment to inoculate against the autoimmune disease
A vaccine 'cure' for rheumatoid arthritis could be available in five years.
The treatment involves a sample of white blood cells being treated with steroids and vitamins to transform them into a more 'tolerant' state before being injected back into the patient. A team at Newcastle University is about to begin small-scale safety trials of the therapy that will come in the form of a single injection.
The research, funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign, involves modified dendritic cells that are hoped to return the body to its pre-disease state meaning the immune system will no longer attack the joints.
Professor John Isaacs, head of the research at the university, said it was expected that the results would show the auto-immune response had been suppressed or regulated down.
Prof Alan Stilman of the Arthritis Research Campaign said the treatment could be revolutionary for patients, adding: "The idea is to change these dendritic cells so that instead of being aggressive, they return to their normal state. The presumption is that they will stay this way, unless the same trigger which is thought to cause the problem in the first place is encountered again."
It has been suggested that the same process may be applicable in other autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis causes painful inflammation and progressive damage to the joints. At present, the only treatment is through painkillers and immune system-repressing medication.
Bad back treatment proved successful
Back pain can be greatly improved through a series of 24 Alexander Technique lessons, according to research published in the British Medical Journal.
The technique, which seeks to re-establish "the natural relationship between the head, the neck and the back", was found to reduce the number of activities limited by back pain by 42% in a study conducted by researchers from the Universities of Southampton and Bristol, and funded by the Medical Research Council and the NHS.
The research also found that one year after the trial those practising the technique reported three days pain a month compared to 21 for those who did not.
Kamal Thapen, chair of The Society of Teacher of the Alexander Technique, said: "We are delighted that this major clinical study demonstrates that the Alexander Technique lessons are effective."
