Long Beach Organization Making Strides in the Fight Against Arthritis - Long Beach-Based Arthritis National Research Foundation Announces Record Number of Grant Applications

LONG BEACH, Calif., (March 00, 2002) - Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal's arthritic big toe may one day not be a bother to him or the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks to the efforts of a Long Beach-based foundation that has been a behind-the-scenes mover and shaker in the field of arthritis research.

The Long Beach-based Arthritis National Research Foundation has been quietly providing funding for many of the nation's top arthritis researchers for over 40 years. The group, which raises its funds through private and corporate donations and a local golf tournament, provides grants that allow university researchers to explore their scientific theories in the search for a cure.

This year, the group has announced that it has received a record number of grant applications for funding. The number has more than doubled from 28 applications last year to 69 this year. It funded eight grants last year and hopes to fund more this year.

"There are very few groups that provide the seed money for researchers in arthritis and related diseases. It is not considered a fatal disease in most cases like cancer or AIDS, so funding is rather scarce," said Helene Belisle, executive director of the downtown Long Beach based group.

The group's board of directors consists of an executive board and a Scientific Advisory Board, which allows the group to combine both long-term growth and science. The executive board is made up of business and medical professionals from the Long Beach area, including two professors from Southern California universities. The Scientific Advisory Board is made up of world-renowned scientists; four from Southern California institutions and two from Northern California.

"Having a local board makes our group a strong network of people who are not only dedicated to our cause but also to the community," said James Rose, current president of ANRF and Director of Pharmacy for CareMore Medical Group in Downey. "Although we support researchers across the country, having a strong local base helps in making us so successful. In fact, the group's first grant was to establish the Arthritis Center at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center."

Everyone on the board has made significant contributions to the fight against arthritis and other related diseases. The Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of six people who have dedicated their lives to studying arthritis and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Gale Granger, Ph.D., past president of ANRF, current board and Scientific Advisory Board member and Professor of Immunology at the University of California, Irvine, is a leader in arthritis research. Granger received several grants from the ANRF in the mid-1980s that helped him to discover the cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is a key molecule that participates in causing the swelling and tissue damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Granger was able to discover a receptor that neutralizes TNF before it gets to the cells and tissues called TNF-R. The receptor was successful in clinical trials and the Food and Drug Administration have approved the drug, Enbrel, as a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

"This is one of the first examples of the successful clinical application of results obtained from basic research on how the tissue destruction that occurs in this disease is caused," said Dr. Granger. "We suspect that this soluble receptor will also be helpful in the treatment of other forms of immunologically caused diseases."

"Dr. Granger has made contributions to arthritis research that have made it possible for others to forge ahead," said Belisle. "His continued support of ANRF is a testament to the dedication this community and country has to finding a cure."

ANRF has helped to fund projects that further the advancement of research about arthritis and move closer to helping the more than 43 million Americans who suffer from arthritis. This year's grant recipients will be decided April 15.

For more information about ANRF or its grant application procedures, please visit www.curearthritis.org or call 800-588-2873.

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