Research was conducted at the Institute Feinstein
when rheumatoid arthritis patients received stimulation of the vagus nerve showed ‘robust’ response.
A device was implanted to stimulate the nerve that helped patients to significantly improve their condition
RA is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects 1.3 million people in the United States. The disease costs tens of billions of dollars on yearly basis for the treatment. In the disease, joints are affected. For now, the reason behind the disease is not known, but the goal of treatment is to stop inflammation further preventing the worsening of the damage and reduces long-term complications
Study’s lead researcher Professor Paul-Peter Tak said that it is the first study to assess whether stimulating the inflammatory reflex with an implanted electronic device would prove beneficial for the RA patients
the researchers have tested as to whether or not stimulating the inflammatory reflex directly using an implantable device could lessen the symptoms in the RA patients. The method has proved to be successful in studies carried out with animals. But the study is the first one to show that the treatment could be effective in humans as well
Dr. Kevin Tracey, President of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research was of the view, “I believe this study will change the way we see modern medicine, helping us understand that our nerves can, with a little help, make the drugs that we need to help our body heal itself”
In the study, the researchers have recruited 17 patients and implanted a stimulation device on the patients’ vagus nerve. The device was activated and deactivated it on a set schedule for 84 days and the progress was assessed at 42 days
Using the DAS28-CRP, a disease activity composite score,
the researchers have measured the patient response. The researchers studied
for tender and swollen joints, serum C-reactive protein levels and disease activity by patient and doctor
The researchers did not notice any serious side effects in patients. In fact, many patients have even showed significant improvements. Anthony Arnold, chief executive officer of SetPoint Medical, was of the view that the study results have added support to the ongoing development of bioelectronic medicines that have been designed to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases
Tracey said that before this research, they were not having any proof that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can stop the production of cytokine and reduce disease severity in humans. Tracey thinks that the study will change the vision towards modern medicine. The findings would help all to understand that human nerves can help in the development of drugs that are required by human body to heal. The researchers think that the trial findings have implications for patients suffering from other inflammatory diseases like Crohn's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and others
The bioelectronic medicine is an emerging field that is now targeting disorders traditionally treated with drugs rather than with advanced neuromodulation devices. As per the researchers, more studies on the topic are required
According to a report from UPI
"Rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving stimulation of the vagus nerve showed "robust" responses in a recent study, researchers report. Implanting a device to stimulate the vagus nerve helped patients improve significantly during a recent study conducted at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by the immune system attacking the joints. Although the cause of the condition is unknown, the goal of treatment is to stop inflammation, which relieves symptoms, prevents worse damage and reduces long-term complications."
"This is a real breakthrough in our ability to help people suffering from inflammatory diseases," Dr. Kevin Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, said in a press release. "While we've previously studied animal models of inflammation, until now we had no proof that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can indeed inhibit cytokine production and reduce disease severity in humans. I believe this study will change the way we see modern medicine, helping us understand that our nerves can, with a little help, make the drugs that we need to help our body heal itself."
It was published a report on the science magazine
"This is the first study to evaluate whether stimulating the inflammatory reflex directly with an implanted electronic device can treat RA in humans,
" said Professor Paul-Peter Tak, MD, PhD, FMedSci,
"We have previously shown that targeting the inflammatory reflex may reduce inflammation in animal models and in vitro models of RA. The direct correlation between vagus nerve stimulation and the suppression of several key cytokines like TNF as well as reduced RA signs and symptoms demonstrates proof of mechanism, which might be relevant for other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases as well."
"Our findings suggest a new approach to fighting diseases with bioelectronic medicines, which use electrical pulses to treat diseases currently treated with potent and relatively expensive drugs," said Anthony Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of SetPoint Medical. "These results support our ongoing development of bioelectronic medicines designed to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases and give healthcare providers new and potentially safer treatment alternatives at a much lower total cost for the healthcare system."
"While we've previously studied animal models of inflammation, until now we had no proof that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can indeed inhibit cytokine production and reduce disease severity in humans. Researchers believe that this study will have a role in changing the way we see the modern medicine, helping us understand that our nerves can, with a little help, make the drugs that we need to help our body heal itself."
"In the study, a stimulation device was implanted on the vagus nerve during a surgical procedure, then activated and deactivated based on a set schedule to measure response over 84 days, with primary endpoints measured at day 42 using DAS28-CRP, a standard disease activity composite score for RA that includes counts of tender and swollen joints, patient's and physician's assessment of disease activity and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels," according to a news report published by Market Wired
Of 17 patients with active RA in the study, several patients that had failed to respond to multiple therapies, including biologicals with different mechanisms of action, demonstrated robust responses. The findings indicate that active electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve inhibits TNF production in RA patients and significantly attenuates RA disease severity
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