Ankylosing spondylitis
Fresh approach needed for torn cartilage repair
Knee surgery to repair torn cartilage are no better than placebo ops, suggests research published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The Finnish Degenerative Meniscal Lesion Study (FIDELITY) compared surgical treatment of degenerative meniscal tears to placebo surgery. Continue reading
Back pain drug now available in UK
People with a type of inflammatory back pain now have access to a new biological therapy option called certolizumab pegol (Cimzia).
The drug is injected and is offered free to eligible adults with pre-radiographic ankylosing spondylitis, or axial spondyloarthritis for 12 weeks.
Axial spondyloarthritis affects about 1% of people in the UK and can cause severe back pain, damage to the pelvis, inflammation of tendons and ligaments and sore red eyes. Some people later develop ankylosing spondylitis. Continue reading
New recipe for replacement cartilage
A way to create artificial replacement tissue that mimics the strength and suppleness of natural cartilage has been engineered by a team from Duke University in the UK.
Articular cartilage is the tissue on the ends of bones where they meet at joints in the body including knees, shoulders and hips. It can erode over time or be damaged by injury or overuse, causing pain and lack of mobility. While replacing the tissue could bring relief to millions, replicating the properties of native cartilage (which is strong and load-bearing, yet smooth and cushiony) has proven a challenge. Continue reading
Meditation can change expression of pro-inflammatory genes, says new study
The first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of mindfulness meditation has been revealed in a paper published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Researchers looked at the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of experienced meditators, compared to a group of untrained people who engaged in quiet non-meditative activities.
After eight hours of mindfulness practice, the meditators showed a range of genetic and molecular differences, including altered levels of gene-regulating machinery and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory genes, which correlated with faster physical recovery from a stressful situation. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
