There is hope.

[Lozz67]

m.medicalxpress.com/news/20...

[Hidden]

Thanks for posting that. I think one of the most depressing things about having this disease is that you know too well you're only tackling the symptoms with what feels like a medical sledgehammer rather than finding a cure. Yes i know treatment's so much better than 20 years ago but none of these drugs make you feel v well at all. Some days i feel like i've just added a load more symptoms into the mixx. It is so uplifting to know someone is actually still researching the cause.

[Cherub198889]

Oh how exciting!! I made a post on Professor Ranjenny Thomas back in 2014 on her succsessful phase 1 clinical trial on the vaccine "Rheumavax" . She was supposed to start the phase 2 trial in 2016, but I never heard the results. It's good to know she is still active. Here is the link that I posted in 2015.

vimeo.com/129634362

[Riedenise]

Thank you for posting this. I found it very interesting and went through several of the items on there. I'm all for research into new treatments and new diagnostic tests etc. To help us currently going through our RA journey and for all new patients. If by doing this research it makes it easier for us, finding the reasons behind how someone gets RA, if at the beginning of someones treatment the Immune system can be targeted straight away to spare and avoid the hit and miss it is at the moment with the treatments we have currently. Finding a cure is the final answer!

I am currently on a research study at The Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital Oxford in the clinical trials unit. My research is to see if by taking a biopsy of cells from a swollen joint either wrists or knees to see if they can tailor make a treatment plan using those cells, to direct a treatment that would work. Without the hit and miss that it can be at the moment. This study is for patients that had failed on an AntiTNF medication, for me it was Humira (it just didn't work, and I got severe site reactions that lasted a week). It's a 2 year study, using Rituximab or Tocilimab. After the biopsy the results are imputed into a computer then one of the medication is chosen, the Rheumatologist involved in the study are not included in that decision.

So I am being looked after very well, have ultrasound, xrays a couple of times, lots of blood tests don each visit. The study is self funded and have taken over my treatment from the NHS system.

If by me taking part it can help future patients by this study, making a treatment plan that is personal to them then the regular visits I have to make into Oxford is worth it. Rie