University of Newcastle Scientists Test First Arthritis Vaccine; Patients’ Own Blood Cells Key To Rheumatoid Arthritis Vaccine

MLW -- Scientists at Newcastle University may have developed a vaccine which will suppress the effects of rheumatoid arthritis using a patient’s own blood cells, the Arthritis Research Campaign, which is funding the research, has reported.The Newcastle team has developed a way to chemically manipulate a patient’s white blood cells so that they develop into tolerogenic dendritic cells, using chemicals, steroids and Vitamin D, before they are injected back into the patient’s knee in the form of a vaccine.