Oxygen has a crucial role in effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs

Levels of oxygen play a vital part in determining the strength of the inflammatory response and how effective anti-inflammatory drugs are, says research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

The discovery could help curb runaway inflammation, benefiting those with rheumatoid arthritis, and goes some way to explaining why some people respond better to anti-inflammatory drugs than others.

More research will look at exactly how anti-inflammatory drugs work under different conditions.

“We hope that by understanding the processes involved in inflammation we will herald the arrival of new and targeted anti-inflammatory drugs that have fewer side effects than what is currently available,” explains John Marwick who was involved in the work.

To read the original research visit http://www.jleukbio.org/content/94/6/1285.