ANP
NOS News•
Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) think they know how to prevent rheumatism. They are working on a major study together with scientists from Portugal and Croatia, for which they will receive a European grant of ten million euros.
The researchers discovered that in the years before they develop symptoms, patients with rheumatism have glycated antibodies in their blood. “If the factories that make these antibodies are inhibited, we expect that rheumatism can be prevented,” says professor of rheumatology Tom Huizinga.
With the ten million euros, the researchers want to find out how they can disrupt the sugar binding. “In this way we can treat, or even prevent, rheumatism in a targeted way,” says professor of experimental rheumatology René Toes.
Pain and stiffness
About 270,000 people in the Netherlands suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The first symptoms often start around the age of 50 and cause many problems: people are often unable to work due to the pain and stiffness in the joints.
“We are getting better at treating rheumatism, for example with medication aimed at inflammatory hormones,” says professor Toes. “That works well, but is expensive. If we can prevent rheumatism, we not only save a lot of suffering, but also a lot of money.”