Dupuytren’s disease breakthrough: New jab fixes ‘claw hand’ condition that shot Lady Thatcher

Millions of people with a disease that gives them an almost useless “hand in the claw” may soon benefit from a drug that stops the condition before it can do any harm.

It also means that many can avoid risky surgeries that can damage sensitive nerves and tear tendons in the hand.

The drug, adalimumab, is a potent anti-inflammatory that is currently widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and is given by injection every three months.

British doctors who tested its use for hand deformities say they were surprised at the drug’s effectiveness. Professor Jagdeep Nanchahal, a specialist in hand surgery at the Kennedy Institute at Oxford University, where adalimumab was tested, said: “When I saw the results, my eyes popped out. I thought: this is great.

Hand claw, also known as Dupuytren’s disease, affects around five million Britons. It causes lumps of scar tissue on the palms of the hands.

Hand claw, also known as Dupuytren’s disease, affects around five million Britons. It causes lumps of scar tissue on the palms of the hands. (Above, Lady Thatcher in 1990)

Over time, these form thick bands called cords that pull the fingers inward. If left untreated, this condition can make daily activities such as typing, typing, or preparing meals extremely difficult.

The exact cause is a mystery, but 80% of cases are considered hereditary and most commonly affect people over the age of 50. Conservative Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher, as well as actor Bill Nighy, is known to suffer.

Non-surgical procedures including steroid injection, radiation therapy, and shock wave therapy have been tried, but none have been shown to be effective in stopping the condition.

As a result, the only real option is surgery, in which the hand is opened to remove the diseased tissue.

In the UK this is only offered in advanced stages of the disease when the fingers are fully bent inward.

Now experts hope that adalimumab can stop the condition in its early stages.

It works by binding and neutralizing inflammatory molecules called Tumor Necrosis Factor, or TNF, produced by cells of the palm. Inflammation is thought to cause the buildup of scar tissue that forms the cords.

Among those affected is actor Bill Nighy (above). British doctors who tested the use of adalimumab for hand deformities say they were surprised at the drug’s effectiveness. The drug is a powerful anti-inflammatory currently widely used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is given by injection every three months.

In the Oxford study, 140 patients with early-stage Dupuytren were divided into two groups. One person was given a 40mg injection of adalimumab every three months for a year – costing about £350 per injection – directly into the bumps on the patient’s hands. The other group was given a fake medicine.

The researchers found that the nodules were significantly smaller in the adalimumab group, but not in the placebo group. They also become much softer. Nine months after the end of treatment, the benefits were still evident in most patients, reducing the likelihood of surgery.

Professor Nanchahal said: “Adalimumab has been used safely to treat millions of people with arthritis worldwide – we had no side effects in our study, so we know the drug is safe to use.” Said.

Andrea Svalay, 60, from Highbury, North London, joined the adalimumab trial after suffering from Dupuytren’s disease for a year and a half. In 2017, she first noticed a lump on the palm of her left hand. Soon, a string began to form, which she described as a stiff string from the palm of the hand to the tip of the finger.

His family doctor referred him to a hand specialist who diagnosed Dupuytren’s disease. At that time the curve of the finger was only five or ten degrees – usually surgery is not recommended until it reaches at least 30 degrees.

Andrea said: “I was told I couldn’t wait for surgery, and even then he could come back. I know Dupuytren can make daily activities like exercising or putting on makeup nearly impossible. I didn’t want it to end like this.

Andrea participated in the 2019 adalimumab study and received injections in the form of a lump in her left hand. He still doesn’t know if he was taking drugs or a placebo, but his left hand masses did not worsen over the next three years and could almost completely switch to them.

Meanwhile, the cord on his untreated right hand became more and more prominent.

I am very happy that I came to the hearing,” he said. “If you can’t improve the situation, it’s great to be able to prevent it from getting worse.

“If offered surgery on my right hand in the future, I will take it, but I would prefer adalimumab injections.”

Strange science: identical twins with very different IQs

A pair of identical twins who were separated as children were found to have significantly different IQs than adults.

One born in South Korea in 1974 disappeared into the market for two years and was later adopted by an American couple. The American twins were reunited in 2018 when he submitted the DNA to a South Korean database.

A pair of identical twins who were separated as children were found to have significantly different IQs from adults. (Image file)

An IQ test showed that the twin, who grew up in the United States, scored 16 points less than his Korean brother, contradicting research that stated that the differences between the twins never exceeded seven points.

The journal Personality and Individual Differences said the adult American sister suffered three concussions that may have affected her cognitive abilities.

your gorgeous body

Few things are more frustrating than the moist bump of a sudden sneeze.

This happens because there are two main stages in the reflex. The first is the sensitive stage, where something irritates the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.

This stimulates nerve impulses that begin the second phase with a vigorous inhalation, closing of the eyes, and finally sneezing.

Failure to sneeze occurs when irritants in the nasal lining are reduced or distracted by the body, so that the electrical signal that triggers the sneeze is lost during transit.