Reviews & Analysis

2014 saw the emergence of a novel rheumatoid arthritis therapy to rival methotrexate, as well as advances in our understanding of mouse T-cell biology and of the cross-talk between the nervous system and the immune system. How will these advances affect the future of rheumatoid arthritis research and therapy?

Three monogenic diseases, with features of both autoinflammation and autoimmunity, were described for the first time in 2014. As well as providing insights into the molecular basis of several rare immunological disorders, the discoveries have implications for their diagnosis and treatment.

Important advances in 2014 foster new perspectives on definitions of early and end-stage disease, and promote a shift in the clinical management of osteoarthritis (OA) through implementing treatment algorithms intended to minimize strain on current health-care models. Collectively, these changes shed new light on developing and optimizing approaches to OA treatment.

Several advances in 2013 have improved our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms affect autoimmune disorders. Many new insights were made into the regulation of gene expression by DNA methylation in systemic lupus erythematosus. For rheumatoid arthritis, complex interrelationships between DNA methylation and microRNAs in regulating gene expression were described.

With every passing year, research on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis benefits from discoveries in other scientific fields. Three of the best examples that illustrate the benefit of such interdisciplinary bridges and the effects they have on our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis are presented here.