Scientists stumble on potential arthritis drug target

Scientists exploring inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis have made an unexpected discovery that may lead to new drug treatments to ease the pain and discomfort endured by 66 million (nearly 1 in 3 adults) US citizens in 2005. The researchers isolated histamine, a small molecule usually associated with asthma and allergy, as central to the part of the inflammatory process that occurs during the development of arthritis. Histamine made the blood vessels surrounding the joints especially vulnerable to leakage, and thereby rendered the joints more susceptible to inflammatory attack. The researchers believe that this is true not only in rheumatoid arthritis, but perhaps also in other autoimmune conditions with which arthritis is associated, such as lupus, and in some infectious diseases, like Lyme disease. "Source":[ http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/news/ng.asp?n=65884-rheumatoid-arthritis-histamine-autoimmune].

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