Scientists have identified a new protein (C5orf30) which regulates the severity of tissue damage caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, pain, stiffness and damage to the joints of the feet, hips, knees, and hands.
Severe, rapidly progressive, RA, diagnosed in 1999, and severe damage to finger joints by 2005 are shown.
Credit: University College Dublin
Following the discovery published in the scientific journal PNAS, rheumatoid arthritis patients most likely to suffer the severest effects of the condition can now be identified early and fast-tracked to the more aggressive treatments available.
