Fighting Spondyloarthritis

In an article published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, researchers offer potential future treatment for those with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). Inflammation from this painful and debilitating disease impacts joints and the spine, and even eyes and skin. While investigating the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), researchers saw that deleting MIF lowered the severity of disease in a SpA mouse model. Severity was increased when MIF producing neutrophils were transferred to the model.

Senior author Dr. Nigil Haroon, a rheumatologist and codirector of the spondylitis program, commented, “Patients with SpA experience inflammation, pain, stiffness and over time, this can lead to spinal fusion and loss of mobility. But it’s not just the disease itself that these patients have to worry about. Compared to the general population, there is also a 60% increased chance of stroke, and a 30% increase that they may experience a cardiovascular event or a mental illness.” The study concluded that “These results indicate that MIF is a crucial regulator and a potential therapeutic target” that could eventually carry over to humans.

 

Access the journal article.

Read the press release.

Other Categories:

• chronic pain

• gastrointestinal

• inflammation

• inflammatory skin disease

• joint dysfunction

• pain management

• research/study

• rheumatoid arthritis

• skin conditions