Nottingham Scientists Awarded Major Grant for Arthritis Research
Scientists in Nottingham have been awarded a major grant of £84,573 by medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign for their work into rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which affects around 600,000 people in the UK, is an auto-immune disease in which the body attacks itself, leading to inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints.
Dr David Walsh, senior lecturer at the University of Nottingham's rheumatology unit, will spend the next three years investigating why inflammation in the joints continues for many years in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whereas inflammation in other tissues usually gets better within a few weeks.
"One possible explanation is that attempts to repair the inflamed joint causes further damage," explained Dr Walsh. "The growth of new blood vessels may be particularly damaging to the joint.
"We aim to determine which molecules make new blood vessels grow when the joint first becomes inflamed, and whether preventing blood vessel growth will allow the inflammation to get better.
"Currently available treatments do not cure arthritis, and new treatments which allowing inflamed joints to repair themselves would have a major impact on the long-term suffering and disability experienced by patients."
Nottingham is a leading centre of Arthritis Research Campaign-funded work. The city is currently in receipt of six grants totalling £662,000.
