Cambridge scientists awarded major grant for arthritis research
Scientists in Cambridge have been awarded a grant of £113,478 from medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign for work which could have a major impact on developing new treatments for one of the most common forms of rheumatic disease.
The team, led by Dr Graham Riley, a senior scientist in the Rheumatology Research Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital – a leading centre in soft tissue rheumatism - will spend the next three years investigating the role of nitric oxide in chronic tendon pain.
The team hopes their research will ultimately lead to new and improved treatments for the condition.
"Chronic tendon pain is a common cause of soft tissue rheumatism, and most cases are caused by degeneration of the tendon, without inflammation," explained Dr Riley.
"Although relatively little is known about the disease process, we have evidence to show that degeneration of the tendon may be partly caused by nitric oxide which is formed by a family of enzymes called nitric oxide synthases.
"The aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that increased activity of this enzyme may be involved in chronic tendon pain – and if we can prove this it could lead to new therapies being designed to inhibit their activity.
"The results of these studies will potentially have an impact, not only on our understanding and treatment of chronic tendon pain, but other rheumatic diseases that may be associated with nitric oxide and collagen degradation, such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis."
