More hope for RAers | Arthritis Information

Ben Gurion University:

Anti-inflammatory drug breakthrough.

Mice crippled with severe rheumatoid arthritis were able to run around normally after receiving a new anti-inflammatory drug developed by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev biochemist Dr. Rachel Levy. The drug, called BL-3030 for now, differs from steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat arthritis that may improve symptoms but have serious side effects.

Her breakthrough involved discovering that a certain enzyme, cytosolic phospholipase A2, causes rheumatoid arthritis. The new drug arrests joint inflammation by preventing the production of that enzyme. “And at least in mice, our drug seems to have no side-effects,” said Levy.

Inflammation is a process involved in many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, obesity, stroke and cancer. It is possible that BL-3030 may also be effective in treating other inflammation-based diseases now treated with steroids that calm inflammation but interfere with fighting infection.

BioLineRx Ltd., a Jerusalem-based biotechnology company, has licensed the drug from BGU’s technology transfer company, B.G. Negev Technologies Ltd. Clinical trials will begin in 2008.

All we can do is hope

LEV

A Cause is Found ?? Can that be? I hope they are on the right path"Her breakthrough involved discovering that a certain enzyme, cytosolic phospholipase A2, causes rheumatoid arthritis"

That's a pretty hefty claim......while it would be nice if she were on the right track, I think she's probably jumping the gun saying that this *IS* the cause. Our APers have already shown us that there is obviously more than one cause for RA....
Thanks Lev, Looks like it may show some promise for people with lung
disease. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm very thankful to some of these
brilliant scientists who have the brain mater to figure all of that out.Thank you for posting this article. love, juliah

Man it would be wonderful to find a powerful drug to cure RA with no equally powerful side effects.

To all,

We are in a very good time for having this disease. There is going to be such great breakthroughs in medicines and cures. All we have to do is live through the wait. The biologics are so much better than the previous family of ra drugs and so soon the biologics will be a thing of the past. It's just this waiting, "and the waaaaiting is the hardest part".

Arriscolwell, maybe proven that many things trigger ra but nothing has proven that more than one root is the cause of RA. I truelly believe that many things mimmick ra or cause the same problems, parasite. microbes and plenty of etcs.

May all of our suffering be less.

LEV

This is really interesting Lev - this doc is also head of the infectious diseases Laboratory.

My question is - if it's not a steroid and it's not a anti-inflamm - what is it?

Pip

**Hopes**

I also hope that it won't be too expensive for us all to try.
Orion739331.2887731481

Damn,

Forgot the link yesterday -

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/64089.php

Pip