Dr. Wang has identified the mechanism of how white blood cells called neutrophils leave the blood stream and migrate into joint tissues.
Neutrophils are white blood cells which are important for the body’s defense against infectious agents. However, these same cells enter the joint in rheumatoid arthritis in large numbers and over time cause swelling, pain and tissue damage.
Potential: The mechanism of the migration of neutrophils into joint tissues may lead to a therapy that will block the migration and subsequent damage to joint tissues. These results can lead to new methods to prevent the onset and control tissue damage in RA and other forms of inflammatory arthritis by blocking the migration of neutrophils into the joint.