(Emily Henderson/ News Medical Net) — Researchers at The University of Toledo have developed an experimental vaccine that shows significant promise in preventing rheumatoid arthritis, a painful autoimmune disease that cannot currently be cured.
The findings, detailed in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, represent a major breakthrough in the study of rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases in general.
One of the most common autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and breaks down healthy tissue -; most notably the lining of joints in the hands, wrists, ankles and knees.
Some estimates suggest rheumatoid arthritis affects as much as 1% of the global population. (…)