The spectrum of arthritis ranges from erosive (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) to ossifying disease with formation of new bone (e.g., ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis). The molecular basis for these different patterns…
CP-690,550 is an orally active and selective inhibitor of the janus kinase (JAK) molecules. The molecular pathways through which the JAK moieties function are described along with the clinical mechanisms…
Therapeutic tolerance embraces the concept of ‘switching off’ immunopathology by specifically targeting elements of the immune system. It has been achievable in preclinical models of transplantation and auto-immunity for more…
Current therapeutics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) offer limited efficacy in a restricted number of patients. There is, therefore, an unmet clinical need for the development of more…
Full activation and differentiation of resting T cells into effector T cells requires at least two signals, the first through engagement of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) by the…
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early use of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), intensive follow-up and ‘treating to target’ to achieve low disease activity produce significant improvements in measures of disease activity,…
The prognosis for patients with rheumatoid arthritis has improved dramatically, thanks in large part to many new therapies and therapeutic approaches. Paradoxically, this has created problems for rheumatologists since clinically…
These are the most exciting times to be a rheumatologist! The therapeutics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have changed dramatically in the last decade with the arrival of novel biologic-based medicines….
Through recent technological advances, ultrasound allows high-resolution visualisation of inflammatory and destructive changes in tendon and joint structures. Over the last few years, the added value of the use of…
The principal clinical and radiological feature of all axial spondyloarthritis is an involvement of the axial skeleton (sacroiliac joints and spine) and, to a lesser extent, the hip joints. Immunohistochemical…
