Hope for millions of patients suffering from arthritis after scientists have developed a vaccine that blocks the pain

Hope is on the horizon for millions of patients suffering from arthritis after scientists have discovered that a vaccine could treat their daily agony.

People with osteoarthritis must currently use painkillers to fight their excruciating pain.

But researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a vaccine that blocks the cause of Agonis Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).

The vaccine pushed the immune system to fight naturally occurring NGF in mice, thereby reducing their pain.

Figures estimate that nearly nine million people suffer from osteoarthritis in the United Kingdom and 30 million in the United States.

There is currently no curative treatment, but the latest findings could pave the way for more effective treatment.

Professor Tonia Vincent, co-author of the study published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease, said: "This is the first successful vaccine to fight the pain associated with osteoarthritis, the 39, one of the greatest challenges of our generation in health care. "

The vaccine causes the immune system to produce antibodies that act against NGF.

It was tested on mice whose weight distribution was uneven on the hind legs – which, according to scientists, was a sign of painful osteoarthritis.

The vaccine, described as "very promising" by a charity, has visibly reversed their pain.

Instead of leaning on one side because of the pain in their leg, the mice stood with their weight more evenly distributed.

The mice to which the vaccine had been administered also had higher antibody levels, which "seemed to be associated with an analgesic response".

And the vaccine, called CuMVttNGF, helped relieve pain in mice when it was administered both before and after the pain had taken root.

The authors said that the total cost of osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease, for the economy of developed countries is estimated to be between 1 and 2.5% of GDP.

Arthritis UK predicts that work days lost due to arthritis will reach 25.9 million by 2030, which equates to an annual productivity loss of £ 3.43 billion. By 2050, these numbers will increase to 27.2 million working days and an annual cost of £ 4.74 billion.

X-ray studies show that at least 50% of people over 65 have signs of osteoarthritis, according to NICE, a UK health monitoring agency, but treatment options are limited.

At present, less than 25% of patients control pain well and it is well known that long-term use of analgesics presents significant risks.

The Oxford team believes that a vaccine could be more effective against pain and the cost of treatment.

Professor Vincent said, "While safety issues remain to be considered before we can use this type of approach in patients, we are reassured that this vaccine design allows us to control the antibody levels and therefore adapt the treatment to each case according to the needs. & # 39 ;.

Dr. Stephen Simpson, of the charity Versus Arthritis, which funded the research, said, "We know that for the ten million people with arthritis, persistent pain changes lives.

"Too many people suffering from pain do not benefit from an effective relief of currently available treatments.

"And that's why the development of more effective pain medications, with fewer side effects, is vital for people with arthritis.

"Although at an early stage, it is a very innovative research and these results are very promising.

"We are proud to support research such as this one, which is aimed at solving this urgent problem and discovering new ways to help people overcome pain."