Scientists trying to combat arthritis have been awarded nearly £200,000 in grants.

The money comes from the Arthritis Research Campaign and includes funding for research into new drugs.

The bulk goes to Prof Don Mason, director of the MRC Cellular Immunology Unit at the Sir William Dunn school of pathology at Oxford University. He and his team are working on ways of controlling arthritic diseases by blocking the mechanism that causes the body's immune system to attack itself.

The other grant of £83,500 goes to Prof Jill Urban, senior research fellow based in the university's pathology labs, for her work on the loss of a molecule in cartilage which leads to osteoarthritis.

Prof Mason said: "The immune system in our bodies exists to protect us from infections, killing off invading bacteria and viruses. "But research over the years has shown that diseases like rheumatoid arthritis happen because the regulating systems fail and the body attacks itself.

"We hope our research into this over the next three years could lead to a new drug treatment being developed."

Story date: Tuesday 06 April

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