New treatment for rheumatic arthritis

2001/05/02 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Medikuntza

The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis is not known at all and in this process of inflammation and distortion that lasts decades, different cell types intervene. Until now, treatments try to relieve pain, since the disease cannot be cured. However, according to the journal Nature, a group of researchers from the Complutense University of Madrid has taken an important step in the search for adequate treatment.

The team led by Mario Delgado has worked with mice and has found that injections of peptide from the intestinal tube (VIP) to mice prevent the advance of arthritis. In this way, in addition to relieving pain, inflammation of the joint and destruction of cartilage and bones are prevented. In addition, after two weeks since the end of the injection, mice remained intact and had no joint problems.

This peptide seems to slow the growth of some inflammatory cells (cytokines) and modulate the action of TH1 lymphocytes related to the onset and duration of the disease.

According to Gary Firestein of the University of California, this peptide can cause gastrointestinal side effects. However, it considers that the benefit would be greater than the damage, since rheumatoid arthritis is very widespread and is a painful disease.