Predicting drug response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects nearly 1 in 100 adults. The disease causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. RA happens when your immune system attacks and destroys your own joint tissue. This damage happens early in the disease process. It is important to start treatment early to prevent this damage. Some drugs for RA stop the immune system from attacking and destroying the joints. Several of these drugs block a chemical in the blood called TNF (tumor necrosis factor). TNF is made by the immune system and is involved in attacking the joint tissue. Right now, there is no way to predict if anti-TNF drugs will work for a patient.In this project, researchers will identify RA patients who were helped by anti-TNF drugs. Using BioVU DNA, they will then look for genes linked to the patients’ responses to the drugs. The results may allow us to predict which patients will be helped by anti-TNF therapy. Knowing this may help doctors choose treatments that are more likely to work for an individual. Better, earlier treatment can help prevent joint damage.