The Rheumatoid Arthritis Working Group
In the fall of 2021, the Arthritis Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee assembled a working group of experts from government and academia to help refine and focus our priorities in rheumatoid arthritis research.
Areas of opportunity for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research being discussed by the working group include:
Initiation and Evolution of Disease
- Genetic risk and contributions of rare variants
- Environmental triggers – e.g., microbial, metabolic
- Regulation of protein modification
- Lessons from early and preclinical RA
Pathogenic Mechanisms
- Transition from biologic risk to breaking immune tolerance
- Transition from systemic to joint-localized disease
- Adaptive immune system-stromal interactions
Disease Phenotypes
- Mechanisms of seronegative RA
- Biomarkers of severe disease/prognosis
- Lessons from Accelerated Medicines Partnership – synovial endophenotypes
Comorbidities
- Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease
- Mechanisms of bone resorption
- Implications of comorbidities for patient management
Therapeutic Response
- Refractory RA – responders vs. non-responders
- Strategies and biomarkers for response, remission and de-escalation
- Stratification for therapeutic trials
- Contributions of pain to treatment response
Patient Management
- Comparative effectiveness of current therapies
- Patient compliance
- Management of residual pain
- Sleep and diet
- Point-of-care ultrasound and wearable technology
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