Nerve stimulation to be trialled for refractory RA
Pilot trial of a device the size of a coffee bean shows it is well tolerated
Tiny devices implanted on the vagus nerve and used for a few minutes a day might be able to reduce the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, say the authors of a pilot study.
Researchers have previously used vagus-nerve stimulators, about the size of a coffee bean, as anti-seizure devices.
Since the vagus nerve plays a role in the body's inflammatory reflex, the team had wondered whether the device could be reprogrammed for autoimmune-disease treatment, said senior author Dr David Chernoff,