AAV study reveals drivers of rheumatoid arthritis pain

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm are using Adeno Associated Virus (AAV) technology to investigate the mechanisms underlying pain in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), revealing signalling pathways that may provide new opportunities for targeted pain therapies.

In a recent peer-reviewed study, the researchers explored why pain associated with RA cannot be explained by inflammation alone. The work examined the neural mechanisms linked to inflammatory joint pain and identified a specific cytokine and signalling pathway involved in the process.

As part of the study, the team used AAV vectors supplied by Amsbio for conditional Ifnar1 knockout in sensory neurons alongside pharmacological inhibition studies. The approach resulted in reduced joint pain and improved dexterity and paw function in experimental models.

The researchers said the AAV-based methodology enabled direct investigation of joint-innervating neurons, rather than relying on indirect measurements such as skin sensitivity or broader dorsal root ganglion manipulation.

The findings suggest that RA pain is driven by a specific cytokine and signalling pathway, highlighting potential targets for future pain-relief therapies in arthritis.

Read the Karolinska institute, paper in full.

Amsbio supplies a range of ready-to-use recombinant AAV vectors and AAV expression systems for in vitro and in vivo applications, including tools for shRNA and human ORF expression.

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