New Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and biomarkers to predict how rheumatoid arthritis patients will respond to treatments, and to personalize care are being explored by researchers now. The findings are published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disorder that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the own body tissues. It not only affects the joints but also damages a wide variety of body systems, including the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels.

‘Predicting a response to rheumatoid arthritis medication using artificial intelligence and biomarkers is a very promising development in treating the disease.’

The treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis have often relied on trial and error.

A new study focused on predicting the response to methotrexate, one of the most commonly rheumatoid arthritis medications.

Applying patient data that included genomic, clinical, and demographic information, researchers used AI to determine an initial response to methotrexate in patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis.

Data used in the study came from a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the Pharmacogenetics of Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis (PAMERA) consortium, that led to early genome-wide association studies.

By predicting response to methotrexate, researchers identified which patients are most likely to benefit from this medication in the first three months of treatment.

More research is needed to understand how these findings can be used in practice. The study, which is part of a series looking at the roles of AI and pharmacogenomics in treating rheumatoid arthritis, was performed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine.



Source: Medindia