Targeted Research Initiative in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Goal – Develop new and effective treatments for RA
The Arthritis Foundation has set a goal of funding an aggressive research campaign to accelerate research into the causes and treatment of RA, including early diagnosis and intervention to minimize its impact on the 1.3 million Americans with this disease. Increasingly our scientists are finding new and powerful medications for this disease. The challenge is to match the right drug with the right patient.
Early Detection and Intervention
The key to RA treatment is early detection, early intervention, and choosing the best treatment for each patient. Until recently, medications of limited effectiveness were available for controlling RA. About a third of patients were destined to a life of pain and loss of mobility. Recent years have brought exciting advances and new therapies that provide relief for many suffering with RA. We now know that the earlier treatment is applied, the more effective it can be. However, no single therapy is effective for all patients, and many must change treatment strategies throughout their lifetime. For some, no effective treatment has yet been uncovered.
In order to develop new and effective treatments, several things are needed:
The ability to detect RA prior to the onset of symptoms.
Predictors to determine patient-specific medical interventions to slow or stop the RA disease process and permit the joint to heal.
Identifying the triggers that cause antibodies to produce inflammation in the joints and development of methods to stop or reversing the immune system response.
Development of medical interventions that will send the disease into remission
In the past, development of new treatments has been hampered because of barriers to patient-based research. For treatment to be most effective, it must be tailored to the individual patient. With a network of patients from which to draw, researchers can work collaboratively to address crucial issues in understanding the disease processes and developing ways to diagnose, prevent and treat it. Coupled with a continued investment in young and promising scientists, we can ensure that the highest quality research can continue even as we move closer to a cure.
RA Research Strategies
Treatment Efficacy and Toxicity in RA Database
The Arthritis Foundation is now working to develop a network of RA treatment centers that will focus on identifying predictors of which patients respond best to which medications. With initial funding from the Foundation, the National Institutes of Health has now joined the effort to build and launch this network. Patients will be identified early in the course of RA and comprehensive information will be collected about their state of health, medical history, and genetic profile at the onset of the disease. Researchers work to identify clinical information and genetic data that can predict which patients will respond best to which of the new treatment options.
The goals of the network include:
- Helping to standardize care for patients with RA across the country.
Create central repository for data and clinical materials available for to investigators
Identify the clinical predictors that will help physicians select the best treatment for an individual patient
Strategic RA Research Alliance
The Arthritis Foundation is collaborating with the American College of Rheumatology on a groundbreaking research campaign, Within Our Reach, to develop new treatments and bring us closer to a cure for RA. By investing millions in innovative basic, clinical and translations research, and collaborative projects, we can increase the potential for medical breakthroughs, enhance the rheumatologists’ ability to predict disease onset, develop individualized treatment and prevent or repair joint damage. Research will include:
Basic Research - to understand the cause of RA and help find more effective treatments
Translational Research – patient-based research using new methods to look at joints, cells and tissues, and find ways to repair and replace damaged cartilage and bone.
Clinical Practice – to improve patient access, identify at-risk patients, foster prevention and early treatment
Collaborative Projects - Large-scale, multi-disciplinary approaches that include innovative, collaborative research groups
New Investigators
The Arthritis Foundation has a long history of investing in young and promising researchers and clinicians to attract new investigators to the field of arthritis research and to ensure that research progress continues over the long term. The program offers 3-year post-doctoral fellowships to scientists beginning their career in arthritis research. For many years, this extremely competitive program has funded the best and the brightest -- and has launched the careers of many all of today’s leaders in the field. Over the years, those funded by these early investigator grants have gone on to receive millions in NIH funding for arthritis research and have been responsible for research breakthroughs that have changed the lives of people living with RA.
Expected Outcomes
We expect that research based on these initiatives will lead to:
Faster drug development – A central repository of data combined with collaborative research accelerates progress and allows for patient-based studies of new therapies
Development of new diagnostic tests for very early RA. - Early diagnosis allows for early intervention to minimize the RA symptoms and slow its progression.
Ability to identification patient-specific treatment – These models will help develop predictors that determine the most effective treatment for specific patients
How You Can Help
The Arthritis Foundation has committed to provide seed money for the building of an RA network as well as financial support to Within Our Reach partners. In addition, the Foundation will fund 30 or more young investigators each year to a pipeline for future research. The Arthritis Foundation hopes to fund more than $30 million over the next 5 years toward these important research initiatives. Your support could help fund fellowships, innovative research grants, and strategic research partnerships that could bring us closer to more effective treatments, and ultimately, a cure.
