Arthritis Research Campaign Copeman House St.Mary’s Court St.Mary’s Gate Chesterfield S41 7TD Tel: 01246 558033 Fax: 01246 558007 Email: info@arc.org.uk Website: www.arc.org.uk Registered Charity No: 207711

ARTHRITIS isn’t the most high profile of diseases, but in terms of the sheer number of people it affects - from children to young people and the elderly – and the pain it can inflict - its impact cannot be underestimated.

More than seven million people have long-term health problems due to arthritis, making it the second most common cause of days off work. For many people arthritis can cause intense pain and swelling in the joints, and often lead to crippling disability. Despite massive improvements in treatment, it remains incurable.

For the past 65 years the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) has been leading the way in the UK in carrying out research to finding better treatments into all 200 different types of arthritis and related conditions. arc is the fourth biggest medical research charity in the UK, and raised more than £26m to fund research over the past 12 months.

Currently the charity funds more than 350 research projects throughout the country, from basic lab-based science from where, ultimately, a cure will come, to more clinical work aimed at directly easing the pain of patients. Most university medical schools are in receipt of several arc grants, and increasingly primary care practitioners are becoming involved in arc research.

How the money is spent
arc receives no government funding whatsoever, and relies entirely on the generosity of the public. All donations go into vital research programmes to determine the causes of arthritis and to provide better treatment for arthritis sufferers. Longer term research aims to find a cure for each of the many rheumatic diseases, including arthritis.

Our research committees consider around 400 applications for funding every year and each is assessed to ensure that it meets the aims of arc.

Awards can be made for up to five years, and progress is expertly reported on and monitored.

Broadly, the types of research grants awarded are for research into the causes of arthritis, alleviation of pain, improving joint replacement techniques, and searching for a cure. Many projects are highly technical and focus on one or two factors to do with one element of a disease or inflammatory response.

The outlook for people with arthritis is far brighter than it was a few years ago, largely due to work funded by the charity. Much of its research is in the field of rheumatoid arthritis – and has led to the recent arrival on the market of new effective new drug therapies for severe rheumatoid arthritis called anti-TNF.

While osteoarthritis research is not at such an advanced stage, there is a vast amount of work going on, looking at its causes, and ways of alleviating painful symptoms. Increasingly, as well as basic science looking into the genetics of osteoarthritis and developing new "tissue engineering" techniques, arc is funding more practical research programmes by hands-on therapists such as physiotherapists, nurses, podiatrists, and now, other practitioners such as chiropractors and osteopaths, looking at the potential benefits of exercise, physiotherapy, self-help and pain control.

arc also has an extensive educational remit, producing more than 70 patient information booklets, and material for medical students, doctors and health care professionals. Its quarterly magazine Arthritis Today is available to everyone who donates £15 a year to the charity. Its comprehensive website can be accessed on www.arc.org.uk

Fergus Logan,
arc chief executive

 

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