Treatments That Are Being Developed for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Despite the large amount of research on arthritis, a cure doesn't appear to be found in the immediate future. But new more effective treatments -based on triggers and the nature of the symptoms- are being developed.

A person that has arthritis should not be discouraged by the fact that there is no cure. The new medicines seem to be very promising. Research works on several areas to improve the effects and to diminish at the same time the side effects:

1. Biological response modifiers.

The target of this type of medication is represented by the immune system's compounds that generate the inflammation of the articulations. The most popular class of biological response modifiers is represented is represented by TNF – alpha inhibitors but there are also others:

  • - Costimulation blockers are used to block one of the signals that activate T – cells, to prevent their activation from happening. These drugs have been tested both alone and in combination with methotrexate. One of these drugs, abatacept (orencia) was approved by the FDA
  • - Tacrolimus represents an immunosuppressant that also blocks the T – cells (certain leucocytes that determine the activation of other cells belonging to the immune system) and is approved for people that have kidney or liver problems, including transplants. It is expected by researchers to prevent also the T – cells from causing inflammation as it does in case of the transplanted organs.
  • - Interleukin – 6 blockers deal with interleukin – 6, a protein that is produced in too large amounts when rheumatoid arthritis occurs. It is considered to be to blame for inflammation, fever and execs blood platelets. Its blockage may diminish the damage. It is already a promising drug.

2. Gene therapy

The purpose of gene therapy is to determine a larger quantity of substances that protect the articulations by diminishing the inflammation. This mainly implies to provide the body a healthy gene which may replace a defective one, or the blockage of a harmful genes action. Some genes that may serve this purpose have already been identified but the researchers haven't managed yet to discover the method to use their benefits. It may take years for this treatment to be available to the large public

 

3. Antibiotics

The possibility of triggers for the inflammations that generate rheumatoid arthritis is still being taken into consideration. In case of identification of an infectious agent as source of the infection, antibiotics are the solution to prevent the disease, to stop its progress and to relieve its symptoms. The results of the trials were unclear.

It is a long process for a drug to become a prescribed a prescribed medicine. The discovery leads to research and development, and, eventually, to approval. There are initially promising drugs that fail in larger trials. But new discoveries should increase hope. Your doctors should be able to inform you about the latest discoveries, so that you can make a decision together.