rheumatoid arthritis tagged posts

Scientists discover New T cells and Genes related to Immune Disorders

A newly developed method called ReapTEC allowed the discovery of thousands of active bidirectional enhancers. Further analysis of GWAS data revealed that various immune-mediated diseases, like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are related to genetic variations within these enhancers.

Researchers led by Yasuhiro Murakawa at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) and Kyoto University in Japan and IFOM ETS in Italy have discovered several rare types of helper T cells that are associated with immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and even asthma...

Read More

Scientists Reveal How our Cells’ Leaky Batteries are making us Sick

X ray of painful hands
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that can damage joints.

The new findings could lead to better treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory diseases – and may even help us slow aging.

Researchers have discovered how “leaky” mitochondria can drive harmful inflammation responsible for diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists may be able to leverage the findings to develop better treatments for those diseases, improve our ability to fight off viruses and even slow aging.

The new discovery reveals how genetic material can escape from our cellular batteries, known as mitochondria, and prompt the body to launch a damaging immune response...

Read More

The New Pill can Inject Large Quantities of Monoclonal Antibodies and other drugs into the Lining of the Stomach after being Swallowed.

diagram of antibodies entering stomach
Caption:The new pill can inject large quantities of monoclonal antibodies and other drugs into the lining of the stomach after being swallowed.
Credits:Image: courtesy of the researchers

In recent years, scientists have developed monoclonal antibodies — proteins that mimic the body’s own immune defenses — that can combat a variety of diseases, including some cancers and autoimmune disorders such as Crohn’s disease. While these drugs work well, one drawback to them is that they have to be injected.

A team of MIT engineers, in collaboration with scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Novo Nordisk, is working on an alternative delivery strategy that could make it much easier for patients to benefit from monoclonal antibodies and other drugs that usually have to be injected...

Read More

Neutrophil Nanosponges Soak up Proteins that promote Rheumatoid Arthritis

Illustration of a neutrophil cell membrane-coated nanoparticle. Credit: Qiangzhe Zhang/Nature Nanotechnology

Illustration of a neutrophil cell membrane-coated nanoparticle.
Credit: Qiangzhe Zhang/Nature Nanotechnology

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed neutrophil “nanosponges” that can safely absorb and neutralize a variety of proteins that play a role in the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. Injections of these nanosponges effectively treated severe rheumatoid arthritis in two mouse models. Administering the nanosponges early on also prevented the disease from developing.

“Nanosponges are a new paradigm of treatment to block pathological molecules from triggering disease in the body,” said senior author Liangfang Zhang, a nanoengineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering...

Read More