From The College November 2006

The complete newsletter is available in PDF format, below.

Featured Article

A Cure for RA – Within Our Reach

It has been an honor for the ACR Research and Education Foundation to produce this final issue of From the College. As most of you already know, the November issue will be the last. ACR's new publication, The Rheumatologist, debuted this month and will take over the fine tradition From the College has established.

So, although this issue represents an end, of sorts, it also heralds a very special beginning. You'll notice that this final issue of From the College is unlike any other you've received. It is focused exclusively on one rheumatic disease - rheumatoid arthritis. We're exploring the current state of RA by taking an optimistic and positive look at how far we've come in our fight against this disease, but we're also including a reality check concerning how much farther we need to go.

Why RA? Well, that's a question we've been asking a lot these days in the REF. RA affects an overwhelming number of Americans and that number continues to increase. Despite the impact on so many people, RA research funding is remarkably low, as compared to other prevalent chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis or Type I Diabetes. Despite recent scientific advances, the rheumatology community still doesn't know much about the cause, let alone cure, for RA.

For all these reasons, the REF has spent the last year quietly launching a multiyear, $30 million fundraising campaign aimed at filling the gaps in our knowledge base about this disease. Within Our Reach will raise funds for innovative RA research with clinical results-oriented outcomes. Quite simply, we have reason to hope that the end result of our campaign will be enhanced knowledge about, improvements in diagnosis and treatment of and, ultimately, a cure for RA.

So, as you read these pages, I hope you'll applaud and celebrate the new heights we've already achieved, while remembering to steady yourself for the rest of the climb.

James R. O'Dell, MD
President, ACR Research and Education Foundation