Response to Biologic Therapy in Inflammatory Arthritis

Research summary

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a condition that causes joint inflammation which leads to joint deformity and long-term disability. It affects 580,000 adults in England and costs £1.8 billion per year to the UK economy due to work-related disability. Biologic treatments are available for patients with severe disease who do not respond to first-line anti-rheumatic medications. However, only a proportion of patients with inflammatory arthritis respond to these expensive treatments, which results in unnecessary treatment and significant cost to the National Health Service. Therefore, identifying the group of patients who will respond to biologic therapy will allow doctors to target this treatment to the most appropriate group of patients. We aim to 1. Assess new predictors of response to biologic treatment in patients with inflammatory arthritis 2. Understand mechanisms operating in the joints of patients with inflammatory arthritis who respond to treatment with biologic therapy 3. Assess the cost-effectiveness of identifying the group of patients who are likely to respond to biologic treatment We will scan patients with inflammatory arthritis using a non-invasive near patient ultrasound scanner and novel techniques for imaging of joints, and take biological samples of serum, urine and stool to identify those who are likely to respond to biologic treatment. Samples will be analysed using high throughput omics technologies including NMR metabolomics.

Principal Investigator

Prof Christopher Buckley

Contact us

Email: gail.lang@ndorms.ox.ac.uk

IRAS number

159630