NEWS: Groundbreaking Research Identifies Potential Biomarkers of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Severity

[Guest guest]

Groundbreaking Research Identifies Potential Biomarkers of Rheumatoid

Arthritis Disease Severity

-- Research published in Arthritis & Rheumatism; biomarkers associated with

signaling and inflammation processes --

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 14, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Researchers at

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the discovery of a panel of

protein biomarkers that could play a role in the early detection, prognosis

and monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research, published in this

month's Arthritis & Rheumatism in conjunction with an accompanying

editorial, represents an important potential advance in the ability for

clinicians to predict disease severity for patients with rheumatoid

arthritis.

" The clinical application of these biomarkers could -- for the first time --

allow clinicians to identify patients who would benefit from aggressive

treatment early enough in the disease course to prevent unnecessary joint

destruction and disability, " said Ronenn Roubenoff, M.D., senior director,

Molecular Medicine, Millennium and a co-author of the study.

This study was conducted as part of a collaborative research alliance

between Millennium and Roche Diagnostics. The researchers have selected 33

of these potential biomarkers for further validation in the serum of

patients with RA as well as healthy volunteers.

To identify the biomarkers, researchers used a proteomic technique called

mass spectrometry to generate and compare protein profiles of synovial

fluids (joint fluids) from patients with erosive and non-erosive RA. The

differences in the protein profiles revealed a distinct set of protein

biomarkers that were elevated in the joint fluid of patients with erosive

disease, but not in patients with non-erosive RA. Among the set of proteins

more abundant in patients with erosive RA was C-reactive protein (CRP) and

six members of the S100 protein family of calcium binding proteins. Many of

the marker candidates discovered are directly or indirectly involved in cell

signaling and inflammation.

Joint erosion is a standard clinical indication of future disability in RA.

The identification of biomarkers that would predict erosion would allow

physicians to identify patients who should receive aggressive anti-rheumatic

treatment early in the hopes of preventing erosion and resulting disability.

" These are exciting discoveries that we are currently utilizing in our

development and discovery efforts, such as incorporating the

newly-identified biomarkers for treatment response into clinical studies

designed to identify the right medicine for the right patients, " said

Roubenoff.

About Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease of

the articular (rotating) joints that results in significant pain, stiffness

and swelling and leads to degradation of the joint tissue. RA can cause

permanent damage and deformities to joints, resulting in loss of function

and ultimately leading to joint replacement surgery in some cases. In

addition, some RA patients develop extra-articular manifestations such as

rheumatoid nodules, interstitial lung disease and vasculitis.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, RA affects 2.1 million Americans and

is about three times more common in women than men. The disease has a

significant socioeconomic impact with medical costs and indirect expenses

due to lost wages for RA estimated to be over $3 billion per year. In

addition, mortality rates for people with RA are double those of the general

population. The cause of RA is not known. However, it is believed that RA is

an autoimmune disease where the body's natural immune system attacks healthy

joint tissue causing inflammation and subsequent joint damage.

http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=198105 & categoryid=15