DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNE TOLERANCE THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES

Development of a translational research project for the induction and monitoring of immune tolerance in Rheumatic Diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 5% of the population of Europe, with two-thirds of the patients being female.

If successful, immune tolerance approaches would revolutionize treatment of RA by inducing drug-free remission. Coupled with diagnostic tests, screening initiatives for “at-risk” individuals, it may stop the disease before joint damage can occur. For healthy but at-risk patient, this would offer a screening and “vaccination” for the prevention of RA.