Cost Effectiveness Study Supports Use Of EUFLEXXA(TM) By Rheumatologists For Pain Relief In Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Ferring Pharmaceuticals presented the
results of a cost-utility study supporting the adoption of EUFLEXXA(TM) (1%
sodium hyaluronate) intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) for the relief of
pain in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee at the American
College of Rheumatology's Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA, November
6-11.



Using data from a larger trial, the study demonstrated that an intra-
articular treatment course of HA (EUFLEXXA(TM)) for knee OA, as compared
with non-HA therapy, provides a cost-utility benefit that supports adopting
this technology. The data also show that wider adoption of this technology
would result in greater financial savings to the health care system.
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases seen in the
rheumatologist's office, costing the health care system nearly $100 billion
per year. (1)



"While the use of intra-articular HA is increasing, little has been
published about its cost-effectiveness," said Erol Onel, MD, Director of
Medical Affairs at Ferring. "This study is important because it not only
presents rheumatologists with significant analysis regarding the
cost-benefit of using this treatment, but it also demonstrates a
potentially significant savings to our overall health care system." More
information regarding the cost-effectiveness of various OA treatment
therapies is available in the Ferring-sponsored OA Trends in Managed Care
Report.



About the Study



The study of 160 patients with knee OA compared costs and the extension
of quality-adjusted life years (QALY) in patients using hyaluronic acid
(HA) with those using a non-HA treatment for this condition. Patients were
randomized either to receive three 2 ml injections of EUFLEXXA(TM) or to be
in a control group maintained on their prior non-HA therapy. Patients'
utility scores were estimated and used to calculate QALYs. To determine
costs, in addition to the costs of HA, patients who responded to HA
treatment were assigned costs of health care utilization attributed to
patients without OA, and non-responders were assigned costs of health care
resources consumed by OA patients. Cost- effectiveness was expressed as
average and incremental cost per QALY.



The responder rate for patients in the HA treatment arm was
approximately 83 percent, and the mean QALY gained was 0.0877 for each
patient responding to treatment with HA over baseline values. When the
change of QALY of the non- responders was set as zero, the HA treatment
yielded a cost-utility ratio of $38,964, while that of the control group
ranged from $36,077 (assuming a 75 percent response rate) to $139,648 (25
percent response rate).



The study concluded that the cost-utility ratio for EUFLEXXA(TM) is
within the range needed to adopt a new technology, and that the product's
wider adoption would result in greater savings to the health care system.



About EUFLEXXA(TM)
















EUFLEXXA(TM) (1% sodium hyaluronate) is the first and only non-avian
derived hyaluronic acid approved in the U.S. for the treatment of pain
caused by knee osteoarthritis and is indicated for a three-injection
treatment regimen for patients who have failed to respond adequately to
conservative non-pharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics (eg,
acetaminophen). In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, head-to-head
study versus the market leading HA therapy, significantly more patients
were "pain free" and "symptom free" with EUFLEXXA(TM).(2)



The process used to manufacture EUFLEXXA(TM) produces the HA that most
closely resembles the HA in healthy human synovial fluid and the most
highly purified HA product available today. In addition, since it is not
derived from an avian source (chicken or rooster combs), the risk of
reactions related to avian proteins is eliminated.(3-8)



EUFLEXXA(TM) received PMA approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) on December 3, 2004, and became available to the
public on November 8, 2005. For more information, visit EUFLEXXA.



About Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.



Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., part of the Ferring Group, is a privately
owned, international pharmaceutical company. Ferring's line of orthopaedic
products includes EUFLEXXA(TM), hyaluronic acid for pain from
osteoarthritis in the knee. Urology products include degarelix for prostate
cancer (Phase III) and Minirin Melt for bladder dysfunction (Phase III) ferringusa.



Ferring also markets BRAVELLE(R) (urofollitropin for injection,
purified), MENOPUR(R) and REPRONEX(R) (menotropins for injection, USP),
Novarel(R) (chorionic gonadotropin for injection, USP) and ENDOMETRIN
(progesterone) Vaginal Insert, 100 mg in the U.S. to infertility
specialists and their patients. Ferring also offers the Q.CAP(TM), the
first and only needle-free reconstitution device, for use with its
fertility treatments.



Other products include ACTHREL(R) (corticorelin ovine triflutate for
injection) for the differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome and
DESMOPRESSIN ACETATE in injectable and rhinal tube forms for the treatment
of diabetes insipidus and primary nocturnal enuresis.



The Ferring Group specializes in the research, development and
commercialization of compounds in general and pediatric endocrinology,
urology, gastroenterology, obstetrics/gynecology and infertility.


References


1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR. 2004;53:388-389



2. Kirchner M, Marshall D. A double-blind randomized controlled trial
comparing alternate forms of high molecular weight hyaluronan for the
treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis Cartilage.
2006; 14:154-162.



3. Schiavinato A, Finesso M, Cortivo R, & Abatangelo G (2002). Comparison
of the effects of intra-articular injections of Hyaluronan and its
chemically cross-linked derivative (Hylan G-F20) in normal rabbit knee
joints. Clin Exp Rheumatol 20, 445-454.



4. Goomer RS, Leslie K, Maris T, & Amiel D (2005). Native hyaluronan
produces less hypersensitivity than cross-linked hyaluronan. Clin Orthop
Relat Res 239-245.



5. Leopold SS, Warme WJ, Pettis PD, & Shott S (2002). Increased frequency
of acute local reaction to intra-articular hylan GF-20 (synvisc) in
patients receiving more than one course of treatment. J Bone Joint Surg
Am 84-A, 1619-1623.



6. Puttick MP, Wade JP, Chalmers A, Connell DG, & Rangno KK (1995). Acute
local reactions after intraarticular hylan for osteoarthritis of the
knee. J Rheumatol 22, 1311-1314.



7. Pullman-Mooar S, Mooar P, Sieck M, Clayburne G, & Schumacher HR (2002).
Are there distinctive inflammatory flares after hylan g-f 20
intraarticular injections? J Rheumatol 29, 2611-2614.



8. Chen AL, Desai P, Adler EM, & Di Cesare PE (2002). Granulomatous
inflammation after Hylan G-F 20 viscosupplementation of the knee : a
report of six cases. J Bone Joint Surg Am 84-A, 1142-1147.


Ferring Pharmaceuticals

FerringUSA


View drug information on Degarelix; Desmopressin Acetate; Synvisc, Synvisc-One.

New Insight May Help Avoid Unnecessary Hand Surgery In Elderly

Motor nerve conduction is a common clinical test used to diagnose nerve problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Current techniques use a single recording site over a superficial muscle. This approach does not take into account the electrical contributions from the other muscles innervated by the nerve being stimulated. This study recorded 15 sites over the thenar eminence (muscles at the base of the thumb) during motor nerve conduction studies. Data suggest that standard nerve conduction studies in elderly patients with a common arthritic change in the thumb may result in unnecessary hand surgery.







Highlight from JRRD pg. 821



Contact: Dr. Stacieann Yuhasz

yuhaszvard

VA Research Communications Service

Arana Files IND For Lead Anti-Inflammatory Product ART621 In Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Indication

Biotechnology company Arana Therapeutics Limited (ASX: AAH) announced it has submitted an Investigational New Drug application (IND) to the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) for the anti-inflammatory product ART621 in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) indication.


The IND includes a Phase II dose ranging study of ART621/221 in RA which is planned to be an international multi-centred trial of approximately 200 patients.


The study is designed to establish the appropriate dosing for ART621 in RA and will compare three doses of ART621 with a placebo in patients also taking methotrexate. Arana expects to commence recruitment for the study in late quarter 4 2008, subject to FDA feedback.


Taking into account their global expertise and experience, the management of the study has been awarded to Quintiles Transnational, the world's largest contract research organisation.


Commenting on these developments, CEO John Chiplin said: "We are very excited that ART621 has reached this important milestone - being Arana's first IND. We are now a confirmed clinical stage company and with our strong pipeline look forward to filing more IND's in the future."



About Arana Therapeutics


Arana Therapeutics (ASX: AAH) is an international biopharmaceutical company focussed on developing next generation antibody based drugs that will improve the lives of patients with inflammatory diseases and cancer.


Arana Therapeutics' innovative engineering technologies provide the basis for developing its next generation antibody candidates. Arana Therapeutics has the financial strength and management expertise to develop its product pipeline.


Arana has a significant track record of commercialising its technologies and has partnerships with GSK, CSL, Centocor (J&J) and Abbott Laboratories.


Additional information


ART621 is an "anti-TNF" - a class of drugs used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and Crohn's disease. ART621 works by blocking the action of TNF (tumour necrosis factor) a protein which is involved in the generation of inflammation



Arana Therapeutics

Japan Approves ENBREL to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Wyeth Japan and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Limited (Takeda Pharmaceutical) today announced that ENBREL(R)
(etanercept) has been approved by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) in patients who had an inadequate response to existing therapies. As announced earlier, Enbrel in Japan will
be co-promoted by both Wyeth and Takeda Pharmaceutical.


"We are pleased with the approval decision and following pricing approval, we will make the product available to Japanese
patients as soon as possible," says Rune Bremberg, President, Wyeth Japan.


ENBREL is the only fully human, anti-TNF receptor approved to reduce the signs and symptoms of RA in patients who had an
inadequate response to traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic medicines. The biological product can be used alone as a
monotherapy and is administered twice weekly as a subcutaneous injection. Initially the product will be made available to
medical institutions participating in an all-patient surveillance program.


ABOUT RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS


Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and potentially disabling disorder that affects about 700,000 people in Japan. The serious
rheumatic disease causes the body's immune system to attack the lining of the joints, resulting in pain and swelling and may
lead to fatigue, disability, deformity, organ damage, or premature death if not managed effectively. In RA, the immune system
attacks the body's own healthy cells, mistaking them for cells that don't belong. This causes inflammation in the lining and
connective tissues of the joints.


Generally, in Japan the disease affects about four times as many women as men. RA can develop at all ages including
childhood; in most cases it develops between the ages of 25 and 50.


ABOUT ENBREL


Globally physicians have become familiar with the benefits and proven long-term profile of ENBREL. As of today, the product
has been approved in more than 70 countries around the world, and has been used to treat more than 280,000 patients worldwide
across various indications.


ENBREL acts by binding TNF, one of the dominant inflammatory cytokines or regulatory proteins that play an important role in
both normal immune function and the cascade of reactions causing the inflammatory process of rheumatoid arthritis. The
binding of ENBREL to TNF renders the bound TNF biologically inactive, resulting in significant reduction in inflammatory
activity.


Additionally, ENBREL binds to lymphotoxin (LT)-alpha, another cytokine involved in the inflammatory process of RA.















ABOUT WYETH


Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a
leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and
nonprescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, and Fort Dodge Animal Health.


The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on current
expectations of future events that involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, risks associated with the
inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of pharmaceutical research, product development, manufacturing,
commercialization, economic conditions including interest and currency exchange rate fluctuations, changes in generally
accepted accounting principles, the impact of competitive or generic products, trade buying patterns, wars or terrorist acts,
product liability and other types of lawsuits, the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance and obtaining
reimbursement, favorable drug pricing, access and other approvals, environmental liabilities, and patent, and other risks and
uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports, including current reports on
Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and the annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.


Actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


wyeth


View drug information on Enbrel.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Benefit From Vegan, Gluten-free Diet

A gluten-free vegan diet may improve the health of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet. The diet has a beneficial effect on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease.



Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and cardiovascular diseases. The underlying causes are unknown, but researchers suspect that the disturbed balance of blood fats seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be part of the explanation.



A research team at Karolinska Institutet has shown in a new study that a gluten-free vegan diet has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors in people with rheumatoid arthritis. The effect was seen when a group of patients who kept to a gluten-free vegan diet for a year were compared with a control group which had followed ordinary dietary advice.



Vegan food had a positive effect on symptoms of the disease, which were more pronounced in the control group. Blood levels of oxidised LDL-cholesterol, a risk factor for atherosclerosis, were also lower in the group which kept to the vegan diet. The vegan group also had higher levels of anti-PC, a type of antibody that the researchers believe has a protective effect against atherosclerosis.



"Our findings suggest a new mechanism by which the level of natural protective antibodies can be increased. They also show that diet can have effects on the immune system with implications for the incidence of disease", says Professor Johan Frosteg??rd, who led the study.



The study was initiated by Professor Ingi?¤ld Hafstr?¶m and was carried out within the framework of CVDIMMUNE, an EU consortium of ten European partners led by Johan Frosteg??rd. The consortium is studying the significance of anti-PC in the hope of developing a vaccine against atherosclerosis.


'Gluten-free vegan diet induces decreased LDL and oxidized LDL levels and raised atheroprotective natural antibodies against phosphorylcholine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; A randomized study'

Ann-Charlotte Elkan, Beatrice Sj?¶berg, Bj?¶rn Kolsrud, Bo Ringertz, Ingi?¤ld Hafstr?¶m and Johan Frosteg??rd

Arthritis Research & Therapy, 18 March 2008.


Karolinska Institutet is one of the leading medical universities in Europe. Through research, education and information, Karolinska Institutet contributes to improving human health. Each year, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. For more information, visit ki.se

Results Of First Multinational Study Of Tocilizumab

Nearly half (43.9%) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving tocilizumab 8mg/kg, in addition to ongoing methotrexate therapy experienced a 50% (ACR50) improvement in symptoms at 24 weeks and more than one fifth achieved a 70% symptom improvement, according to results of a European study presented at EULAR 2007, the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain. This study is the first phase III trial of tocilizumab.



Lead researcher Dr Josef Smolen of the Medical University of Vienna for Internal Medicine commented, "These data show the potential of tocilizumab as a novel and attractive approach to treating RA. The symptom improvements observed across both 4mg/kg and 8mg/kg doses show that tocilizumab offers significant promise to patients with moderate and severe RA."



Significant improvement in symptoms was observed in all patients receiving tocilizumab and methotrexate compared to placebo and methotrexate. At 24 weeks, an ACR70 (70% symptom improvement) was observed in 22%, an ACR50 (50% symptom improvement) in 43.9% and an ACR20 (20% symptom improvement) in 58.5% of patients receiving 8mg/kg tocilizumab plus methotrexate compared to placebo (2.0% p=

Study Of Tough Hydrogel For Synthetic Cartilage Replacement

Some 46 million people suffer from arthritis in the United States alone. The worst cases require painful surgeries to drill holes in and reinforce joints. Now researchers working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are studying an unusually pliant yet strong synthetic cartilage replacement in hopes of providing arthritis victims with some relief. In a paper* presented at the March Meeting of the American Physical Society, NIST scientists and colleagues from Hokkaido University in Japan, reported on a gel that, while having the pliancy of gelatin, won't break apart even when deformed over 1,000 percent. By using NIST's neutron research facility to show how the molecules in the gel sustain such large deformations, the research team hopes to make it easier to design materials with even better mechanical properties.



Known as double-network hydrogels, the incredible strength of these new materials was a happy surprise when first discovered by researchers at Hokkaido in 2003. Most conventionally prepared hydrogels - materials that are 80 to 90 percent water held in a polymer network - easily break apart like a gelatin. The Japanese team serendipitously discovered that the addition of a second polymer to the gel made them so tough that they rivaled cartilage - tissue which can withstand the abuse of hundreds of pounds of pressure. A combination of a brittle hydrogel and a soft polymer solution leads to a surprisingly tough material.



Initial work using NIST's neutron scattering techniques to explore the structure of the gel found unexpected results. The two polymers** were attracted to each other - despite the fact that one polymer is negatively charged and the other neutral - and can withstand a certain force before they can be pulled apart. The total amount of force that can be endured by this polymer pair gets amplified enormously because there are many contacts along each long chain. Efficacy of stress transfer between the long added chain and gel network forms the cornerstone of the toughening mechanism in DN-gels.



The latest paper discusses a molecular-level toughening mechanism proposed based on neutron scattering measurements that gather, in detail, how the two polymers behave when the gel is deformed. Under deformation, these two polymers arrange themselves into an alternating, well-ordered, periodic pattern that is repeated approximately every 2 microns. This periodic structure is a hundred times larger than what is usually seen in molecules under deformation and its formation elegantly dissipates a large amount of deformation energy to stabilize the gel from crumbling apart.



Establishing the details of the molecular structure will allow for more precise design of the next generation of hydrogels that are tough and rigid at the same time. Real cartilage goes through a process of constant daily destruction and regeneration under everyday stresses; the researchers hope a good synthetic cartilage could endure year after year under the rigors of the body before needing to be replaced.







* W.L. Wu, V.R. Tirumala, T. Tominaga, S. Lee, P. Butler, E.K. Lin, J.P. Gong, H. Furukawa, A molecular model for toughening in double-network hydrogels. Presented at the March Meeting of the American Physical Society, March 11, 2008, New Orleans, La. Session: J25.00006.



** The materials is made by adding polyacrylamide (PAAm) to a gel based on poly(2-acrylamide,2-methyl,1-propanesulfonicacid) (PAMPS).



Source: Michael Baum


National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Treatment Does Not Increase Cancer Risk In RA Patients

A recent study by Swedish researchers found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients did not experience an elevated cancer risk in the first 6 years after starting anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. The research team, led by Johan Askling, M.D., Ph.D., from Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden assessed the short-term and medium-term cancer risk for RA patients using anti-TNF therapies: infliximab, adalimumab, and etanercept. Details of the study appear in the November issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology published by Wiley-Blackwell.



TNF is a cytokine (substance secreted by immune system cells) that regulates the body's immune system and is involved in inflammation. TNF inhibitors (or TNF blockers) are a class of therapies used to reduce inflammation in chronic inflammation such as RA. The common immunosuppressant drugs and those included in the study are Remicade®, HumiraTM, and Enbrel®. As these therapies are used to treat chronic inflammatory illnesses, the long-term inhibition of TNF raises concerns for increased risk of infections and cancer.



This study, one of the largest and longest population-based assessments of cancer risks associated with immunosuppressive therapy, included data from several Swedish databases including the Biologics Register, the Cancer Register, and the Early RA Register. Researchers identified and analyzed data from 6,366 patients who started anti-TNF therapy between January 1999 and July 2006. Data from patients using TNF inhibitors was compared with other groups of RA patients - 61,160 not taking medication, 4015 using methotrexate (the gold standard in RA treatment) and 4,015 taking combinations of disease -modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (other than TNF inhibitors).



Results show there were 240 first primary cancers diagnosed during the 25,693 person-years of follow-up in the patients using anti-TNF therapy who had no history of cancer at the onset of immunosuppressant treatment. When compared to the larger national RA cohort who did not receive TNF inhibitors or have a history of cancer, the relative risk of anti-TNF therapy was 1.00 and remained unchanged for those taking immunosuppressant drugs for up to 6 years. "Our research indicates the overall cancer risk is the same for RA patients on immunosuppressant therapies and those not taking medications for the disease," confirmed Dr. Askling, but adds that "given several remaining uncertainties, continued vigilance remains prudent."



Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the joints, joint tissue, and other organs and is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. A 2004 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 23.7 million people worldwide (1.3 million U.S. adults) are afflicted with RA, with 75% of those cases found in women.



Article: "Cancer Risk in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor a Therapies." Johan Askling, Ronald F. van Vollenhoven, Fredrik Granath, Pauline Raaschou, C. Michael Fored, Eva Baecklund, Christina Dackhammar, Nils Feltelius, Lars C?¶ster, Pierre Geborek, Lennart T. Jacobsson, Staffan Lindblad, Solbritt Rantap?¤?¤-Dahlqvist, Tore Saxne, and Lars Klareskog. Arthritis & Rheumatism; Published Online: October 29, 2009 (DOI 10.1002/art.24941); Print Issue Date: November 2009



Source: Dawn Peters


Wiley-Blackwell


View drug information on Enbrel; Remicade.

La Jolla Institute For Allergy & Immunology Researchers Identify A Potential Role For Retinoic Acid In Autoimmune And Inflammatory Diseases

An important finding, which could eventually lead to a new therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, psoriasis and others, was announced today by researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology (LIAI). The studies, conducted in laboratory mice, demonstrated the role of retinoic acid, a substance derived when Vitamin A is broken down in the body, in regulating inflammation.



In their studies, published yesterday in the online version of the journal Science, the LIAI researchers showed that by manipulating the amount of retinoic acid in mice, they could affect the number of pro-inflammatory T cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The finding is an important first step that, if eventually found to be true in humans, points to the potential of a new avenue of therapies using retinoic acid to treat these diseases.



"What's exciting about this finding is they've found that retinoic acid plays a role in modulating the switch between these two distinct (T cell) lineages - the induced regulatory T cells, which are anti-inflammatory, and the TH-17 lineage, which promotes inflammatory responses, " said Casey Weaver, M.D., a University of Alabama, Birmingham, professor and prominent immunology researcher, who was key in the discovery of TH-17 in 2005.



Further, Dr. Weaver said, the LIAI researchers had developed a "mechanism by which you can prevent the development of the (inflammatory) lineage. This is very exciting because it provides a potential pharmacological application for this finding."



The finding was published today in a paper entitled "Reciprocal Th-17 and regulatory T cell differentiation mediated by retinoic acid." Hilde Cheroutre, Ph.D., led the research team, entirely from LIAI, in which Daniel Mucida, Ph.D., and Yunji Park, Ph.D., were key contributors.



The LIAI team tested three approaches with retinoic acid. In one model, they injected the mice with retinoic acid, essentially giving them more of the substance than they would have through normal body processes. This suppressed the formation of pro-inflammatory T cells in the intestines of the mice, demonstrating that increases in retinoic acid reduced inflammation. In another approach, designed to test how reducing retinoic acid would affect inflammation, the team used an inhibitor to block retinoic acid in the mice. This led to the decrease of anti-inflammatory T cells, showing that reducing retinoic acid increased inflammation. In a third, particularly exciting approach, the scientists treated T cells with retinoic acid in a test tube. When put back into the mice, these T cells prevented the formation of inflammatory T cells in the mice. This is especially noteworthy because combining the retinoic acid and T cells outside the body may avoid possible side effects that are more likely when scientists attempt to manipulate body processes internally.



"We found that you can control inflammation in a living animal with retinoic acid or you can treat cells with retinoic acid in a test tube and transfer them to the organism to suppress inflammation in vivo," said Dr. Cheroutre. "This may offer an important new avenue for treatment of autoimmune diseases like colitis and rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory diseases, as well as potentially providing a mechanism for the control of graft rejections, where you don't want the immune system to attack the grafted tissue."



About LIAI


Founded in 1988, the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology is a nonprofit medical research center dedicated to increasing knowledge and improving human health through studies of the immune system. Scientists at the institute carry out research searching for cures for cancer, allergy and asthma, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis. LIAI's research staff includes more than 100 Ph.Ds.



liai

Breastfeeding Reduces Risk Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Women who breast feed for a longer period of time are less likely to
get rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published on May 13,
2008 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, a BMJ Specialist journal.




In the last thirty years, the fraction of women breastfeeding for more
than six months has increased substantially. This study examined the
effects of breast feeding, administration of oral contraceptives, and
having children (but not breast feeding) on rheumatoid arthritis. The
investigators studied 136 women with rheumatoid arthritis and 544 women
without the disease.



The only group that experienced reduced rheumatoid arthritis had
children and breastfed for extended periods of time. Those who
breastfed longer were more likely to decrease arthritis risk. In
comparison to the group that never participated in breastfeeding, women
who had breastfed
for one to 12 months had only three-quarters the chance of getting the
disease. Women who had breastfed for 13 months or more had half the
chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never
breastfed.



Notably, this relationship was not found with the use of oral
contraceptives, which mimic the hormonal effects of pregnancy.



The authors concluded that there was some difficulty in drawing a
direct connection between the higher rates of breast feeding and the
correlating drop in the number of women affected by rheumatoid
arthritis. However, they claim that the study shows another reason why
women might consider to continue breast feeding.



Breast feeding, but not use of oral contraceptives, is
associated with a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis

M Pikwer, U Bergstrom, J-A Nilsson, L Jacobsson, G Berglund, C Turesson

Online First Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2008;


doi:10.1136/ard.2007.084707

Click
Here For Abstract



Written by Anna Sophia McKenney