The Arthritis Foundation announced that Susan Goodman, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Director of the Integrated Rheumatology and Orthopedics Center of Excellence, and Medical Chief and Research Director of the Combined Arthritis Program at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and her colleagues were awarded a $450,000 grant to identify appropriate targeted therapies for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Goodman explained that the focus of their research is to investigate new therapies to prevent patients from developing refractory disease and increasing their risk of experiencing long-term joint damage as well as drug toxicities. “The mechanisms of pain and swelling [are] very different from pain and swelling from inflammation,” Dr. Goodman explained. “From the work we’ve done … with [patients who have] low-inflammatory [disease], we’ve been able to identify pain-associated genes and certain pathological findings that are also associated with high pain scores.” Their research has shown that for refractory patients, certain anti-inflammatory medications may not be effective—and, in turn, refractory patients may have to try several lines of therapy, while still experiencing symptoms of their disease and any toxicities from anti-inflammatory agents. Dr. Goodman hopes that she and her colleagues can uncover new therapeutic strategies to better treat patients with early and refractory rheumatoid arthritis.
June 30, 2023