News and information about the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) and arthritis and rheumatology research. Written for NDB participants and anyone with a rheumatic disease.
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Monday, September 18, 2006
Cancer drug Gleevec stops RA in mice
The cancer "wonder" drug Gleevec, used to beat back leukemia and certain types of stomach tumors, also shows promise against autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. "The data are very impressive, as impressive as anything I've ever studied," said study researcher and Stanford University rheumatologist Dr. William H. Robinson. His team's findings were published online Sept. 14 in advance of their publication in the October print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Robinson's group was screening drugs that might possibly help the estimated 50 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients who do not adequately respond to current therapies. Intrigued by case reports showing that rheumatoid arthritis symptoms improved in patients who received Gleevec (imatinib) as part of their cancer treatment, the researchers decided to test the drug in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. These mice developed a disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis called collagen-induced arthritis. Gleevec almost completely prevented the development of collagen-induced arthritis in healthy mice, Robinson's team reported. Compared to results in untreated mice, the drug also stopped disease progression and significantly reduced levels of bone destruction, inflammation, and tumor-like growth in and around the linings of joints. - from MedlinePlus
The cancer "wonder" drug Gleevec, used to beat back leukemia and certain types of stomach tumors, also shows promise against autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. "The data are very impressive, as impressive as anything I've ever studied," said study researcher and Stanford University rheumatologist Dr. William H. Robinson. His team's findings were published online Sept. 14 in advance of their publication in the October print issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Robinson's group was screening drugs that might possibly help the estimated 50 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients who do not adequately respond to current therapies. Intrigued by case reports showing that rheumatoid arthritis symptoms improved in patients who received Gleevec (imatinib) as part of their cancer treatment, the researchers decided to test the drug in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. These mice developed a disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis called collagen-induced arthritis. Gleevec almost completely prevented the development of collagen-induced arthritis in healthy mice, Robinson's team reported. Compared to results in untreated mice, the drug also stopped disease progression and significantly reduced levels of bone destruction, inflammation, and tumor-like growth in and around the linings of joints. - from MedlinePlus
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