https://medicalxpress.com/rheumatology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Rheumatology Arthritis includes a range of conditions that affect the joints, from inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis to more common conditions like osteoarthritis. Many people experience pain, stiffness, and a reduced quality of life. Treatment today focuses on reducing inflammation and relieving symptoms, depending on the type of arthritis. However, researchers from the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University have now identified a new possible route for future treatments. Their research is published in The Lancet Rheumatology journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-glp-joint-fluid-weight-loss.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:05 EDT news695569381 Scientists investigating the naturally occurring immunopeptide PEPITEM have shown reductions in arthritic joint swelling to a degree comparable to the current standard of care, and reduce the inflammatory changes that cause joint damage. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-pepitem-therapy-potential-early-stage.html Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:02 EDT news695035561 Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a specialized protein, also called a neurotrophin, that is critical for the development and survival of nerves responsible for our senses and the body's fight-or-flight response. While the presence of NGF is crucial during the embryonic stage, its presence in adults is often an indication of inflammation, as it is a key mediator of pain for conditions like osteoarthritis (OA). Now, a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows that NGF is much more than a pain messenger—it can actually change the structure of a joint. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-nerve-growth-factor-triggers-osteoarthritis.html Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694867180 The immune system is designed to protect us against viruses and bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, however, the immune system instead attacks the body's own cells. Conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) and rheumatoid arthritis are well-known examples. It is estimated that just under 250,000 people in Norway live with some form of autoimmune disease, with approximately 8% to 10% of the population worldwide. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-overactive-immune-cancer.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:20:03 EDT news694958762 For the first time, scientists have used a modern cell therapy called CAR-T to treat a patient with three different life-threatening autoimmune diseases that had resisted years of treatment. The patient, who once required daily blood infusions, has been in remission without needing additional treatment for a year since the CAR-T therapy. The case report, published in Med, suggests that CAR-T therapies can help treat complex and severe autoimmune diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-car-therapy-remission-patient-autoimmune.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:04 EDT news694881961 Good news: Scientists may be closer to a new way to treat arthritis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-ways-regrow-joints-arthritis.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:00:01 EDT news694783635 Skin, our largest organ, acts as a protective barrier against pathogens that try to invade our bodies while constantly monitoring for potential threats. In the skin's outermost layer, the epidermis, reside keratinocytes, cells that detect danger and actively orchestrate the body's immune response. How these cells perform this task in a localized manner and then communicate the message with the entire immune system had been a mystery, but now a team of researchers from China has uncovered the signaling pathway. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-scientists-skin-alarm-pathway-links.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:20:04 EDT news693479936 Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This disease prompts the immune system to mistakenly attack body tissues, particularly joints, leading to inflammation, swelling, stiffness and pain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-immune-pathway-pain-arthritis.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:40:03 EDT news693227000 Injections of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, could be an effective and well-tolerated option for treating debilitating complications caused by reduced blood flow to the fingers, such as acute digital ischemia (which makes the fingers very painful, cold and sometimes white or bluish), digital ulcers (open wounds that heal poorly), and gangrene, according to a study recently published in JAMA Dermatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-botox-therapeutic-approach-finger-ulcers.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:20:01 EDT news693221281 Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations. The disease is characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage, which normally cushions the bones within joints. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-key-protein-cartilage-osteoarthritis-treatment.html Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:40:01 EDT news693221162 An already-approved IV drug significantly reduces the symptoms of lupus, a new clinical trial showed. More than three-quarters of lupus patients taking obinutuzumab (Gazvya) had a significant improvement in their symptoms after a year on the drug, researchers report in The New England Journal of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-iv-drug-lupus-symptoms-clinical.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EDT news692354707 A new targeted PET/CT tracer can detect treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis patients in as little as four weeks, and potentially even at the start of treatment, according to new research published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Compared to the three to six months currently required to establish treatment efficacy, this new imaging technique could help determine the patients who are most likely to respond sooner, allowing non-responders to pursue more effective therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-petct-early-treatment-response-rheumatoid.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:40:01 EST news691676821 Frequent dry eyes may signal more than simple irritation and could be an early warning sign of an autoimmune disease. This symptom has long been associated with Sjögren's Disease, a chronic autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the tear ducts and salivary glands, causing inflammation that leads to dry eyes and dry mouth. Now, a study of 67,264 patients in Taiwan with autoimmune diseases found that dry eye disease (DED) preceded the autoimmune diagnosis by about three years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dry-eye-autoimmune-disease-diagnosis.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:20:04 EST news691236263 The effectiveness of exercise therapy to ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis is likely minimal, short lived, and probably no better than no treatment at all, suggests an overarching (umbrella) systematic review and pooled data analysis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal RMD Open. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-overrated-osteoarthritis-latest-evidence.html Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:30:06 EST news690484201 RNA-based medicine is about to take a huge leap forward thanks to the discovery of extremely short RNA fragments with important anti-inflammatory properties. Professor Michael Gantier's latest research, published in Nature Immunology, builds on the Nobel prize–winning discoveries of microRNA (2024) and siRNAs (2006), except where those molecules contain about 20 bases, these very short RNA fragments can be as small as 1–3 bases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-tiny-base-rnas-autoimmune-inflammation.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:06 EST news689953649 Fibromyalgia is a long-term chronic condition that causes widespread pain in the muscles and soft tissues throughout the body. The illness can affect people of all ages and has a major impact on quality of life, often making even simple, everyday activities difficult. With an estimated 2–8% of the global population affected, the search for treatments that are both effective and affordable could be a game changer for how symptoms are managed for millions of people who live with the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-real-world-benefits-fibromyalgia-medications.html Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:00:06 EST news689943345 A team led by UCL researchers with Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and Moorfields Eye Hospital, found B cells—alongside T cells—play a key role in arthritis-related eye disease (JIA uveitis), a condition that can cause long-term vision loss in children. The study challenges how the disease has been previously understood, and could open the door to new treatments that help protect children's sight. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-cells-sight-threatening-arthritis-children.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:25:24 EST news689430301 The class of anti-inflammatory drugs known as TNF-inhibitors has brought relief to many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, but they don't work for up to 4 of every 10 patients. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-alternate-path-inflammation-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:22 EST news688993201