University of Oxford researchers link rheumatoid arthritis vulnerability to prenatal development

Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Kennedy Institute have discovered that vulnerability to rheumatoid arthritis may be determined before birth. The study, published in Nature Immunology, suggests that the selective targeting of specific joints by the autoimmune disorder is linked to cellular and structural differences established during embryonic development.

By comparing proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, which are frequently affected by the disease, with distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, which are typically spared, scientists found that PIP joints possess different tissue structures and larger populations of specialized fibroblasts. These cells respond differently to inflammation, indicating that the local biological environment of a joint is shaped during formation rather than through later wear and tear.

Christopher Buckley, Kennedy Professor of Translational Rheumatology, noted that the findings suggest the answer to why certain joints are targeted lies not only in the immune system but also in the tissues themselves. The research utilized single-cell sequencing, advanced image analysis, and high-resolution 3D X-ray scanning to map these developmental differences.