Scientists are hoping to develop a new vaccine which makes use of patients' own blood cells to suppress the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, it has been reported.

Members of staff at the musculoskeletal research group at Newcastle University in the UK are carrying out the work, which is being funded by a grant from the Arthritis Research Campaign, an organisation dedicated to promoting medical research into the condition.

Professor of Clinical Rheumatology at the University John Isaacs is leading the team, which is due to test the effectiveness of the experimental vaccine in eight volunteer patients.

A larger trial will eventually be rolled out, depending on the success of the treatment.

The team hope to increase immune system suppression in people with rheumatoid arthritis by causing some of their white cells to transform in toerogenic dendritic cells.

Web resource Medical News Today note: "This can be done, they think, by mixing the white blood cells with chemicals, steroids and vitamin D and then reinjecting them back into the patient's knee like a vaccine."

Cell biopsies will be taken two weeks after the treatment to assess the participants' responses.

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