Accomplishments

A few years ago, the Center was one of the first to note the important role that tumor necrosis factor plays in inflammatory conditions. This work led to the development of inhibitors, which have dramatically changed outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Researchers at the Center are currently working toward significant new discoveries regarding the role that stress, exercise, diet and education play in arthritis, and they are finding ways to effectively prevent osteoarthritis and suppress the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The AAC has been involved in the development of biologic treatments at its clinical research unit that allow people previously disabled by arthritis to resume a normal lifestyle.

These agents are also effective in other diseases such as Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and sarceidosis. This work has led to the Arizona Arthritis Center’s Biologic Infusion Center being noted as one of the premier Immune Mediated Inflammatory Disorders programs in the United States.

Other Center accomplishments include new medications that can stop the progression of osteoporosis and reduce hip fractures by 30 to 50 percent, recent work demonstrating that doxycycline can stop the progression of osteoarthritis, and studies proving that stress can induce arthritis flares.

The Center has also been involved with major institutions such as Harvard, Duke, Northwestern and the University of California in developing new more sensitive methods of diagnosing arthritis at its earliest stages and reducing the time of determining whether a drug is effective or not by up to 75%.

Other important projects include investigation into whether glucosamine and chondroitin are more effective when used together, a study to examine the effects of exercise on early osteoarthritis, and a strength training study to understand the most effective combination of exercise intensity, frequency and duration for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Important and exciting progress was recently announced at the Arizona Arthritis Center regarding tissue engineering. Orthopedic Department scientists who are affiliated with the Center are on the verge of successfully developing a way to support and implant tissue-engineered cartilage into knee joints. This groundbreaking work offers a promise for the future that degenerated joints need no longer be tolerated or replaced with artificial parts. They will be restored with healthy cells and tissues.

Additionally, the Center’s Rheumatology Health Tracker Program is an innovative program that is finding ways to improve communication between physicians and their rheumatoid arthritis patients through the use of portable computer touch screens, which allow patients to record information about their disease at each clinic visit.

The Rheumatology Health Tracker will not only help the patient/physician relationship, it will also work as a library of information about patient and disease categories. In the long-term, this standardized assessment tool will help doctors make evidence-based medical decisions.