By retraining blood cells, scientists believe they can "switch off" rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients are taking part in a trial that scientists hope could ultimately lead to a cure for rheumatoid arthritis.

The AuToDeCRA-2 study seeks to prove it is possible to train white blood cell commanders - dubbed the “generals” of the immune system - to order other “soldier” cells to stop attacking healthy tissues.

  • Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafeEnglish
    4·
    9 days ago

    This doesn’t “switch off pain”, or anything even close to such an idea.

    If anything, it may “switch off” autoimmune diseases such as RA, which is even more promising.

    Very exciting work that seems to have positive results in patients. I’m surprised they’re already testing it.

    • misk@sopuli.xyzOPEnglish
      11·
      9 days ago

      With arthritis pain and disease are near synonymous. There is no treatment for the underlying cause, just stopping your autoimmune response selectively which means stopping the damage and the inflammatory pain. There is also pain from the mechanical damage that arthritis causes but if the disease is stopped early then the pain should negligible to the one caused by inflammation.