RESEARCH - SSRIs offer model for drug development opportunities for RA treatment

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SSRIs Offer Model For Drug Development Opportunities To Treat

Rheumatoid Arthritis

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 26 Feb 2010 - 6:00 PST

A new study found that fluoxetine (Prozac®) and citalopram (Celexa®)

treatment significantly inhibited disease progression of

collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice. Research led by

Sacre, Ph.D. from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) in the

UK studied the anti-arthritic potential of these drugs, known as

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), most commonly used to

treat depression. Both SSRIs exhibited anti-inflammatory effects and

may provide drug development opportunities for arthritic conditions

such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Full findings of this study are

published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of

the American College of Rheumatology.

RA is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the lining of

the joints. Typically, RA first affects hand and foot joints and later

the disease spreads to larger joints. Inflammation eventually erodes

the cartilage between the joints (articular cartilage) causing pain,

stiffness, joint deformity, and physical disability. According to the

2000 Global Disease Burden study by the World Health Organization

(WHO), RA affects approximately 1% of the world population.

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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180571.php

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