title: [What can experimental research offer to rheumatology today--the viewpoint of molecular biology? Contribution of molecular biology to pathogenesis research in rheumatology using the example of rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: Molecular biology plays an increasing role for the development of innovative approaches to analyze the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases and to improve diagnosis and therapy of these disorders. Some of these approaches/techniques have recently yielded important results, e.g. the analysis of 1) chromosomal aberrations (numerical and, in part, structural aberrations in synovial fibroblasts/macrophages from chronic joint inflammation); 2) cell clonality (oligoclonal expansion of synovial T-cells, B-cells, but also fibroblasts); 3) the importance of genetic factors (genome-wide screening for arthritis susceptibility genes); 4) mutations in key genes of cell cycle and/or function (mutations in p53 and proto-oncogenes in the inflamed synovial membrane); and 5) gene expression patterns (e.g. by high-density microarrays, custom arrays, in situ hybridization, and real-time PCR). It can be expected that these analyses will result in central new findings concerning the understanding of the pathogenetic basis of chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, with the potential to develop differential diagnostic criteria for these hitherto extremely heterogeneous diseases, and to create the basis for individual-oriented therapy.
authors.affiliation: Nachwuchsgruppe Experimentelle Rheumatologie, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Bachstr. 18, 07745 Jena, Germany. Raimund.W.Kinne@rz.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kunisch
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pohlers
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dunger
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kreusch
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiederanders
authors.forename: Raimund W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kinne
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000639:trends*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000639:trends*