| |
A new study says that Chicken type II collagen (CCII), a protein taken from the cartilage of chicken breast, can be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment.
According to a trial, published in BioMed Central’s journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, chicken collagen can aid in providing relief from aching joints.
Wei Wei, from Anhui Medical University, China, worked with a team of researchers to examine the new treatment by comparing it to the established anti-rheumatic drug methotrextate, in 503 RA patients.
Patients who underwent a 12-week course of CCII capsules had considerably improved joint function, with fewer and milder unpleasant effects than those taking methotrexate.
According to Wei, "We have shown that CCII is a promising alternative therapeutic strategy that may be used as a nutritional supplement against rheumatoid arthritis".
RA is caused by the body’s response against its own cartilage - the rubbery tissue, comprising mostly collagen, which cushions and lubricates joints.
The researchers believe that ‘oral tolerance’ can be achieved by administering patients with collagen in the form of CCII capsules.
Wei said, "Oral tolerance is a reduction in autoimmune activity caused by repeated dietary exposure to the offending substance. Treatment of autoimmune diseases by induction of oral tolerance is attractive because of the few side effects and easy clinical implementation of this approach. Indeed, our work confirms that treatment with oral CCII leads to improvement in arthritis with no significant side effects."
