Adult inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritis is an umbrella term used for a group of arthritic conditions which cause pain, stiffness and damage to joints including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. These conditions are caused when our immune system mistakenly attacks our joints, leaving them inflamed and painful. Other body systems and organs can also be attacked, which is what makes these conditions complex and harder to understand.

Our research has already made significant advances for people with inflammatory arthritis. This includes the discovery of anti-TNF, a revolutionary new treatment, as well as the development of a best practice tariff for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

However, treatment responses and long-term management of these conditions vary from person to person. Sometimes several therapies need to be tried before symptoms are relieved. This will continue to happen, until more research is done to push back.

The Adult Inflammatory Arthritis Research Advisory Group is made up of people with arthritis, healthcare professionals, scientists, and researchers. Together, they aim to create a future where people with inflammatory arthritis have access to more personalised and effective treatments at all stages of their condition.

The group hopes to achieve this by identifying where there are strengths and gaps in our knowledge of inflammatory arthritis. We will use this to communicate the importance and need for more research with other organisations that fund or influence inflammatory arthritis research.

We hope this will lead to funding of vital research needed to develop consistent, personalised treatments for people with inflammatory arthritis.

Conditions the group focus on include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Peripheral and axial spondyloarthritis (also known as ankylosing spondylitis)
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Enteropathic-associated arthritis (arthritis which is linked to bowel disease including Chrohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)
• Seronegative arthritis (the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis without the presence of certain antibodies in the blood)
• Pathophysiological mechanism of septic arthritis
• Other adult inflammatory arthritis conditions.

Stefan Siebert is a senior clinical lecturer at the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Glasgow. He also works as Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he runs specialist psoriatic arthritis clinics.

He leads the spondylarthritis and psoriatic arthritis clinical research programme in Glasgow, and is involved in studies investigating the cause of rheumatoid arthritis and new therapies to treat it.

• Dr Stefan Siebert. Clinical Senior Lecturer in Inflammation and Rheumatology, Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist - University of Glasgow.
• Mrs Susan Burn. Patient Insight Partner - Versus Arthritis - Research Patient Insight Partner (PIP) Group.
• Mr David Chandler. Patient Insight Partner. Versus Arthritis - Research Patient Insight Partner (PIP) Group.
• Dr Suzanna Verstappen. Reader in Musculoskeletal Epidemiology – University of Manchester.
• Professor Carl Goodyear. Professor of Translational Immunology – University of Glasgow.
• Professor Nicole Horwood. Professor of Musculoskeletal Medicine - University of East Anglia.
• Professor Andrew Cope. Professor of Rheumatology – Kings College London.
• Dr Arthur Pratt. Clinical Senior Lecturer, Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist – Newcastle University.
• Dr William Tillett. Senior Lecturer, Consultant Rheumatologist - University of Bath, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases Bath.
• Dr Lesley-Anne Bissell. NIHR Clinical Lecturer - University of Leeds.
• Mrs Kirsty Bell. Podiatrist - Glasgow Caledonian University.
• Dr Sarah Twigg. Consultant Rheumatologist - Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.
• Dr Pauline Ho. Consultant Rheumatologist - Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
• Mr Chris Martey. First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapist - St Martin’s Hospital, Virgin Care, Bath & North East Somerset.
• Professor Allan Wailoo. Professor of Health Economics - University of Sheffield.
• Dr Carla Cohen. Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Oxford.
• Dr Ken Baker. NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Rheumatology - Newcastle University.

Paediatric Rheumatology Clinical Study Group Representative

Paediatric CSG representation – Dr Flora McErlane, Consultant in Paediatric Rheumatology - Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

• Patient Insight Partner - young person with axial spondyloarthritis
• Academic Clinician - Rheumatologist
• Academic Clinician - Allied Health Professional
• Clinician - Allied Health Professional

Please contact research@versusarthritis.org for more information.