Key Advances in Rheumatology: A Decade of Progress

The open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy has recently published its 10th anniversary issue, “The Scientific Basis of Rheumatology: A Decade of Progress,” which includes 38 articles that review some of “the most important advances in rheumatology research from the past decade. With approximately 43 million Americans diagnosed with some form of rheumatic disease, these articles will be a good reference for rheumatologists.

Here is an overview of some of the articles you will find:

Developments in the scientific and clinical understanding of fibromyalgia Author: Buskila D

Treating patients with fibromyalgia (FM) requires healthcare professionals to use pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods. With the recent FDA approval of pregabalin, duloxetine, and milnacipran, it “may herald a new era for the development of medications with higher specificity and efficacy for the condition.”

This review discussed how genetic and environmental factors “may play a role in the etiopathology of FM and other related syndromes.” As researchers continue to increase their understanding of the biological basis of FM, they “hope to gain a better understanding of the true nature of the disorder, to attain more rational therapeutic modalities, and to help patients.”

Genetics of rheumatic disease Authors: Clarke A, Vyse TJ

The authors evaluated “some of the recently described genes” of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erthematosus, and ankylosing spondylitis and to what extent the genes overlap.

Upon completing their review, the authors learned that researchers are “rapidly moving towards the ability to quickly and cheaply fully sequence individual genomes,” which will “lead to better outcomes in the management of autoimmune disease.”

Developments in the scientific and clinical understanding of goutAuthor: So A

This article focused on the advances researchers have made when considering new treatment for patients with gout and hyperuricemia. It explains how monosodium urate crystals “are potent inducers of inflammation” within joints and that by treating patients with IL-1 inhibitors, the inflammation can be blocked. Understanding these advancements of hyperuricemia and gout may lead to future therapeutic targets.

What magnetic resonance imaging has told us about the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis — the first 50 yearsAuthors: McGonagle D, Tan AL

Researchers have learned that a MRI scan has “greatly improved our understanding of pathogenic mechanisms in RA, namely the link between inflammation and damage.” Studies have shown that MRI scans “confirm that autoantibody-associated RA is primarily a disorder of synovium,” which emphasizes “the importance of the effective treatment of synovitis as being the only necessary and sufficient therapeutic goal for RA.”