New Hydrogel Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Discovered! Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects millions of people around the world and is known for causing chronic pain, inflammation and joint damage. Unfortunately, current treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis remain ineffective, leaving patients with few options. But now there is hope!
Research led by Nan Wang, Jie Ma, Wenxia Song & Chengwu Zhao has unlocked an exciting new pathway for RA development: autoantibodies from RA interact with various proinflammatory cytokines to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which cause increased inflammation leading to joint damage.
The team has developed a hydrogel treatment that disrupts these NETs, relieving inflammation and relieving RA symptoms. To make the gel, deoxyribonuclease I (DNase) is connected to oxidized hyaluronic acid (OHA) through a Schiff base reaction, prolonging DNase’s half life without compromising its activity. Carboxymethyl chitosan then crosslinks DNase-functionalized OHA (DHA), creating an injectable, degradable, biocompatible hydrogel known as DHY which strengthens DHA’s adhesive capacity.
The findings of this study were astounding. In a collagen-induced arthritis model, DHY treatment significantly reduced inflammatory cytokine expression and alleviated RA symptoms when combined with methotrexate; further improvements were seen when DHY alone was administered.
This groundbreaking discovery provides hope to millions of people suffering from RA, offering them a new treatment option. The team’s work was published in the prestigious journal Drug Delivery and is set to revolutionize RA treatment practices.
Researchers behind this groundbreaking discovery have declared it a major advance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The new hydrogel treatment may offer an effective alternative to traditional methods, which have not proven successful at managing symptoms.
The DNase-functionalised hydrogel, which degrades NETs to reduce inflammation in RA, has been demonstrated both effective and safe. After testing the hydrogel extensively on animal models, researchers are confident in its potential effects.
The new treatment is unique in that it is injectable, degradable and biocompatible – making it a particularly appealing option for RA patients who may not want to undergo invasive surgery or take daily medication.
The researchers believe the hydrogel treatment could be an effective tool in managing RA symptoms, particularly when current treatments haven’t worked. With hope, patients will soon have access to this new therapy and are currently conducting further studies to fully explore its potential.
Overall, the discovery of DNase-functionalised hydrogel offers new hope to millions around the world who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. With its potential to reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms associated with RA, this treatment could offer patients a viable alternative to traditional treatments methods.
Further Reading- Nan Wang, Jie Ma, Wenxia Song & Chengwu Zhao (2023) An injectable hydrogel to disrupt neutrophil extracellular traps for treating rheumatoid arthritis, Drug Delivery, 30:1, DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2023.2173332
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