Vaccine for RA in development
For many people suffering from the debilitating disease Rheumatoid Arthritis the prospect of one day having a vaccine that will be able to treat and cure RA is a dream that may soon be realized.
The PA Research Foundation Grant Recipient Professor Ranjeny Thomas, who is currently on the cusp of an international break through, has been named as a finalist in the Health category of the Australian Innovation Challenge Awards for her development of a Rheumatoid Arthritis vaccine.
Aimed at finding Australia's next big breakthroughs in fields ranging from clean energy technology through agriculture to astronomy. The awards are designed to help drive some of the nations best ideas to commercialisation or execution.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitation in the motion and function of multiple joints. Though joints are the principal body parts affected by RA, inflammation can develop in other organs as well. Over 500,000 Australians have RA, and the disease typically affects women twice as frequently as men.
"RA is cause by an aberrant immune response that can be triggered by disease-specific antigens, or proteins," says Professor Ranjeny Thomas.
"Current treatments attempt to reduce the joint destruction associated with this disease by targeting the inflammation that is a consequence of this immune response. However, non-specific suppression of inflammation may increase infection, and drugs may be toxic to vital organs."
Professor Thomas' vaccine is specifically designed to re-education the immune system towards the disease-specific antigens. The vaccine is at the proof-of-concept stage and the group hopes to commence clinical trials in two years.
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