A scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology has received one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)s top awards the 2009 NIH Directors Pioneer Award. The prestigious prize carries with it funding for total costs of up to $4.7 million over five years, and is designed to support the work [...]

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 46 million Americans have arthritis. Many of these people take overthecounter antiinflammatory medications that block production of certain molecules, known as bioactive lipids, to reduce pain and swelling. Yet, the role of these lipids is not yet understood completely, and medications may have [...]

When arthritis affects the hands, a range of treatments may reduce pain and preserve joint mobility. The August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter provides an overview.
Osteoarthritis, also called degenerative arthritis, is related to aging. In the hands, it occurs when the stress of everyday motions or an injury wears down the smooth cartilage surfaces [...]

A recently identified gene allows immune cells to start the selfdestructive processes thought to underlie autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.
Researchers showed that mice without the Batf gene lacked a type of inflammatory immune cell and were resistant to [...]