Acronym:
RA Detect
Project Title:
RA Detect – One Platform- Multiple biomarker detection of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Duration:
15/04/2016 – 14/04/2019
Principal Investigator NOVA.id.FCT/FCT-UNL:
Pedro Viana Batista
Abstract:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive disorder leading to joint inflammation and pain in the feet, hands, and wrists commonly affecting in the ages between 30 and 60. Majority of the people having the disease do not have family history of the disease. This autoimmune disease if gone undetected leads to cartilage damage resulting in reduced joint spacing between bones. While certain joints are affected by the disease, also other body systems like cardiovascular and respiratory systems can be damaged. Studies have been conducted to identify the biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis including the rheumatoid factor anticyclic citrullinated peptide. But there is ‘no one size that fits all’ as some of these markers may be present even before the start of the symptoms disease progression or may not be present at all in all the patients. Therefore it is of critical significance for a validated diagnosis that all the biomarkers can be detected at the same time. In this proposal we aim to develop a novel, single platform for high throughput screening of the known definitive, predictive and prognostic markers of rheumatoid arthritis.