Nasal spray could help treat arthritis

August 4, 2004

HILARY MARSHALL

RHEUMATOID arthritis sufferers could in future use a nasal spray to deliver

a gene treatment, according to scientists at King¹s College London.

Preliminary work has shown that nose drops containing a modified version of

a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory substance can switch off the harmful

inflammatory process that causes rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers found that delivery of the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin

-10 " switched off " immune cells that were contributing to the inflammation,

but " switched on " cells that could keep the harmful ones in check.

The team, led by Dr Klavinskis, a senior lecturer in the department of

immunobiology, are working with United States biotech company Vical

Incorporated on developing the drug.

They have just been awarded £190,000 from the Arthritis Research Campaign to

develop the research to the first phase of a clinical trial.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, debilitating condition, characterised by

swollen joints, which affects 350,000 people in Britain.

Dr Klavinskis believes that administering interleukin -10 via the nose will

more effectively target a population of cells that cause disease, rather

than damping down the whole immune system.

" Interleukin -10 has been used before in a clinical trial in Canada, and

while it had some possible benefits, they found there was immunosuppression

when it was given intravenously, " she added.

Dr Madeleine Devey, of the Arthritis Research Campaign which is helping to

fund the research, said: " This is exciting research with real potential to

provide a new approach to therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

" Despite the development of TNF alpha antibody therapy for rheumatoid

arthritis, there is still a need to develop more precise ways of modulating

the immune system.

" This could provide long-term therapeutic benefits with fewer side effects

and would be considerably less expensive than the existing biological

therapies. "

So-called anti-TNF therapies, while very effective can cost up to £10,000 a

year.

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