New Gout Cure

Scientists review monoclonal antibody cultures.

Much recent gout research has been concerned with understanding how this pain mechanism works.

Though the ultimate gout cure relies on stopping uric acid excess in the first place, better pain relief can at least cure the pain until uric acid crystals can be dissolved.

In fact, inflammatory processes are at the heart of many diseases, and so advances in one area of arthritis research can often help gout sufferers.

This is certainly the case in a new drug called canakinumab, code named ACZ885.

In your body, a protein called IL-1 (Interleukin-1) plays an important part in inflammation, and how we feel pain from the inflammatory process. Drugs that block this reaction go a long way to relieving pain in rheumatoid arthritis and related inflammatory diseases.

The authors of the recent study, The human anti-IL-1ß monoclonal antibody ACZ885 is effective in joint inflammation models in mice and in a proof-of-concept study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, conclude:

ACZ885 was found to inhibit IL-1ß mediated joint inflammation in preclinical models. It was well tolerated in this firstproof-of-concept study in RA patients...Further studies are warranted to confirm these initial results, [and] to identify those patients who will profit most from blocking IL-1ß

Since we know that this inflammatory process is what ultimately causes most gout pain, it makes sense to investigate the role of canakinumab in gout.

There are now several trials of this drug for gout sufferers. See the gout cure forum for announcements of new trials.