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Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles may enable early detection of rheumatoid arthritis

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LONDON — Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles may have the potential to enable early detection and long-term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, with minimal adverse events, according to results of a study presented at the EULAR Annual Congress.

“Despite dramatic advances in the treatment of [rheumatoid arthritis] RA, currently available therapies can cause several side effects, many patients fail to respond and true remission is only achieved in a minority,” Paolo Macor, PhD, lead investigator from the Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy, said in a press release. “This is often due to late diagnosis of the pathology.”

According to the release, by coating the particles with a peptide that is only able to target inflamed joint tissue, the biodegradable polymer nanoparticles (BNPs) may be used to efficiently and selectively deliver drugs and diagnostic probes into arthritic joints. The BNPs also allow investigators to consider therapeutic agents previously deemed too toxic to deliver through a systemic route. The BNPs also can be filled with a contrast agent, such as gadolinium, and then used as a diagnostic tool for an early and functional diagnosis of joint inflammation.

Using an immunofluorescence technique, the peptide-coated BNPs were shown in the study to preferentially target inflamed joint tissue. A single injection of targeted BNPs loaded with methotrexate resolved inflammation in a rat model of antigen-induced arthritis, while the same dose of free methotrexate injected into the rat’s bloodstream was ineffective. Using a mouse model of chronic collagen-induced arthritis, an equivalent therapeutic effect was obtained comparing methotrexate-loaded BNPs and the same dose of free methotrexate with no toxic effects.

“The advantage of being able to deliver methotrexate in this targeted way is to be able to gain the benefits from this key treatment of RA, while reducing the risk of adverse effects that are more frequent at high doses,” Macor said.

References:

Colombo F, et al. Abstract #OP0023. Presented at: EULAR Annual Congress; June 8-11, 2016; London.

www.congress.eular.org

Disclosure: Macor reports no relevant financial disclosures.