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🗺️ Disease Atlas · Musculoskeletal or connective tissue disease

rheumatoid arthritis

A chronic, systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation in the synovial membranes and articular surfaces. It manifests primarily as a symmetric, erosive polyarthritis that spares the axial skeleton and is typically associated with the presence in the serum of rheumatoid factor.

🔔 Follow weekly
🧬8420genes / proteins with evidence
💊454drugs and clinical candidates
🧪12+recruiting trials worldwide
✅81approved
📈1filed for approval
🛡️

Understand rheumatoid arthritis

Autoimmune diseases · The immune system attacking the body
🎓 Learn more

What it is

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in your joints. RA is an autoimmune disease. Although it is most common in the wrist and fingers, this disease can cause your immune system to attack any joint tissue. The inflammation (swelling) that comes with RA can also affect other body parts. Inflammation could cause medical issues in your eyes, skin, heart, nerves, blood, or lungs.

RA differs from osteoarthritis, a common arthritis that often comes with age. RA affects the lining of your joints and damages the tissue that covers the ends of the bones in a joint. Eventually, this might cause your joints to not work as well.

There is no cure for RA, but early treatment can help you manage symptoms, reduce joint damage, and lead a productive life.

From MedlinePlus: Rheumatoid Arthritis (US National Library of Medicine) ↗

🛡️ Autoimmune diseases: In autoimmune diseases the immune system, which should fight germs, attacks the body's own healthy tissue - the joints in rheumatoid arthritis, many organs in lupus, nerves in multiple sclerosis.

❓ Why it happens

  • A mix of genes and triggers - such as infections, smoking or hormones - but the exact cause is often unknown.
  • They are more common in women.

🫀 What it does to the body

  • Long-lasting inflammation causes pain, swelling and tiredness, and can damage joints and organs.

🧱 Why it is hard to cure

  • Calming the immune system too much makes infections more likely.
  • Flare-ups are hard to predict, and most of these diseases can be controlled but not yet cured.

🚀 What research is trying now

  • Targeted medicines (biologics, JAK inhibitors) that block single steps of inflammation.
  • CAR-T cell therapy that "resets" the immune system, showing early promise in severe lupus.
  • Therapies that teach the immune system to tolerate the body again.

General information about autoimmune diseases, reviewed by people; it does not describe any one person. Below: the evidence for rheumatoid arthritis itself.

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AI briefing

Where the science on rheumatoid arthritis stands, from the evidence on this page

AI reads the targets, drugs, trials and papers below and writes where the science stands — every claim cited. It is shared with everyone who opens rheumatoid arthritis.

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Top targets

Genes and proteins ranked by Open Targets evidence (0-1)
TYK2 tyrosine kinase 2PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.76
IL6R interleukin 6 receptorantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.75
IL12B interleukin 12Bantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.75
JAK1 Janus kinase 1PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.72
TRAF3IP2 TRAF3 interacting protein 2small molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.72
TNF tumor necrosis factorPROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.72
PADI4 peptidyl arginine deiminase 4PROTACsmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.69
JAK2 Janus kinase 2PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.69
PTPN22 protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22PROTACsmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.69
MIF macrophage migration inhibitory factorPROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.68
NR3C1 nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1PROTACothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.64
IRF5 interferon regulatory factor 5PROTAC🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.64
PTGS2 prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2PROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.64
IL17A interleukin 17APROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.63
IL23A interleukin 23 subunit alphaantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.63

Green labels: what the target is known to be druggable by. The score combines genetics, somatic mutations, drugs, expression and literature.

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Drugs and candidates

Every medicine linked to rheumatoid arthritis, by how far it has got
Approved · 20
AbataceptT-lymphocyte activation antigen CD86 inhibitor; T-lymphocyte activation antigen CD80 inhi…Approved
AceclofenacCyclooxygenase-2 inhibitorApproved
AdalimumabTNF-alpha inhibitorApproved
AlclofenacCyclooxygenase-1 inhibitorApproved
AnakinraInterleukin-1 receptor antagonistApproved
AuranofinApproved
Show all 20
AzathioprineAmidophosphoribosyltransferase inhibitorApproved
BaricitinibTyrosine-protein kinase JAK1 inhibitor; Tyrosine-protein kinase JAK2 inhibitorApproved
CanakinumabInterleukin-1 beta inhibitorApproved
CelecoxibCyclooxygenase-2 inhibitorApproved
CertolizumabApproved
Certolizumab PegolTNF-alpha inhibitorApproved
Cortisone AcetateGlucocorticoid receptor agonistApproved
CyclosporineCyclophilin A modulatorApproved
DexamethasoneGlucocorticoid receptor agonistApproved
Dexamethasone Sodium PhosphateGlucocorticoid receptor agonistApproved
DiclofenacCyclooxygenase inhibitorApproved
Diclofenac PotassiumCyclooxygenase inhibitorApproved
Diclofenac SodiumCyclooxygenase inhibitorApproved
DiflunisalCyclooxygenase inhibitorApproved
In phase 2 / 3 · 20
AmipriloseFiled for approval
BucillaminePhase 3
ChloroquinePhase 3
CilengitideIntegrin alpha-V/beta-3 antagonist; Integrin alpha-V/beta-5 antagonistPhase 3
CilostazolPhosphodiesterase 3A inhibitorPhase 3
CipemastatPhase 3
Show all 20
CorticotropinMelanocortin receptor 2 agonistPhase 3
DiosminPhase 3
ErgocalciferolVitamin D receptor agonistPhase 3
EscitalopramSerotonin transporter inhibitorPhase 3
EszopicloneGABA-A receptor; anion channel positive allosteric modulatorPhase 3
Fish OilPhase 3
Folic AcidPhase 3
FostamatinibTyrosine-protein kinase SYK inhibitorPhase 3
Fostamatinib DisodiumTyrosine-protein kinase SYK inhibitorPhase 3
Gamolenic AcidPhase 3
Glucosamine SulfatePhase 3
Gw-406381Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitorPhase 3
HesperidinPhase 3
HydroxychloroquineToll-like receptor 7 antagonist; Toll-like receptor 9 antagonistPhase 3
Early trials · 20
AllopurinolXanthine dehydrogenase inhibitorPhase 1/2
Ask-8007Osteopontin inhibitorPhase 1/2
BelataceptT-lymphocyte activation antigen CD86 inhibitor; T-lymphocyte activation antigen CD80 inhi…Phase 1/2
BevifimodPhase 1/2
BezisterimPhase 1/2
CannabichromenePhase 1/2
Show all 20
Efavaleukin AlfaPhase 1/2
FexofenadineHistamine H1 receptor antagonistPhase 1/2
MorphineMu opioid receptor agonistPhase 1/2
NaltrexoneOpioid receptors; mu/kappa/delta antagonistPhase 1/2
NiclosamidePhase 1/2
ObexelimabB-lymphocyte antigen CD19 inhibitor; Low affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor…Phase 1/2
Rapcabtagene AutoleucelPhase 1/2
RebamipidePhase 1/2
Tgn-1412T-cell-specific surface glycoprotein CD28 agonistPhase 1/2
Ab-101Phase 1
Abbv-257Phase 1
AlemtuzumabCAMPATH-1 antigen inhibitorPhase 1
Amp-110Phase 1
Antilymphocyte Immunoglobulin (Horse)Phase 1
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