A brief insight into future treatments for arthritis. Research on treatment of various types of arthritis is underway, focusing on gene therapy, vaccines, and biologic response modifiers. A healthy gene is injected into those persons known to have the predisposing gene marker. This may work in some persons with early signs of certain types of arthritis.
Much research remains to be done.
It is thought that diseases which may respond best to gene therapy are rare ones like osteogenesis imperfecta. Vaccines are being investigated because some forms of arthritis, particularly RA, are thought to be triggered by a virus or bacterium in persons with a predisposition for the disease. If researchers can identify what the triggering mechanism is, they may be able to develop a vaccine for treatment. Study participants showed a 50 percent or greater improvement in the number of swollen and tender joints. Researchers are not certain why or how minocycline works.