Rheumatoid arthritis: new science, new treatment

The pathology and treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chroninc systemic inflammatory disease affecting the synovial joints and other organ systems, are presented. RA starts from cellular reactions to a triggering antigenic stimulus in the synovial fluid and tissue resulting in bone and cartilage destruction. The new treatment options are based on the immunologic abnormalities in RA, blockingcytokine-mediated cell-cell interactions. Among the new drugs being considered for as treatment for RA are anti-CD5 antibody, anti0CD4 antibody, DAB486IL-2 and IL-1 receptor antagonist.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains an enigmatic crippling disease without specific therapy, but its poor prognosis may be changing. Recent discoveries are providing new insights into how RA destroys synovial-lined joints, [...]