Killing immune cells thwarts arthritis
By John Travis
In a strategy compared to rebooting a frozen computer, researchers have successfully treated people with the debilitating disorder rheumatoid arthritis by wiping out most of their antibody-producing immune cells.
Those who responded to the therapy, some for as long as 18 months, have resumed activities such as gardening and exercising and no longer need arthritis medication, says Jonathan C. Edwards of the University College London. He described his group’s treatment of people with chronic rheumatoid arthritis at this week’s American College of Rheumatology meeting in Philadelphia.