What is Arthritis?
There are more than 100 types of arthritis and treatment may be obtained from medical doctors who are arthritis specialists called rheumatologists. Some of the most prevalent forms of arthritis include:

Osteoarthritis is the nation's number one crippling disease, affecting an estimated 20.7 million Americans. In this degenerative disease, the cartilage in the joints deteriorates causing pain and loss of movement.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease which means that the patient's immune system is attacking and destroying self-tissues in the joints, causing swelling, pain and loss of mobility. RA afflicts approximately 2.1 million Americans and, in severe cases, can involve other body organs, cause kidney failure and death.

Fibromyalgia, which affects over two million Americans, is characterized by chronic and widespread pain in the muscles and joints, sleep disorder and fatigue.

Other common forms of arthritis include: systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), scleroderma, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile arthritis, and gout.

The Road to a Cure

The Arthritis National Research Foundation provides funding for highly qualified researchers associated with major research institutes, universities and hospitals throughout the country seeking to discover new knowledge for the prevention, treatment and cure of arthritis and related rheumatic diseases. The foundation receives no government funding; it operates solely through the generosity of individual contributions.

Over the last 35 years, the Arthritis National Research Foundation has provided grants to over 100 researchers seeking improved treatment and the ultimate cure of arthritis. Research breakthroughs resulting from ANRF grants include:

• Discovery of cytokines, one of which, TNF, is involved in the tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis
• Isolation of molecules that block cytokine activity
• Development of gene therapy to relieve arthritis pain and other studies in the genetics of arthritis
  

The discoveries made by today's researchers pave the way for new treatments tomorrow.