Rheumatology | Featured Specialties | UC Davis Health

A study by UC Davis Health showed how cytokines take the brakes off synovial cell growth in joints, leading to the abnormal tissue accumulation that’s associated with psoriatic arthritis. The research led by rheumatologist Siba Raychaudhuri, M.D., presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in November, revealed some of the molecular mechanisms that underpin this disease and highlighted how new, targeted therapies could help alleviate psoriatic arthritis.

UC Davis Health has established a new musculoskeletal ultrasound clinic dedicated to evaluating and treating patients with rheumatological conditions. The clinic utilizes ultrasound-guided technology to diagnose and treat patients with inflammatory arthritis, allowing providers to look for joint effusion, synovial thickening, joint erosions and gout or calcium crystal deposits. 

Internationally recognized physician scientist Nancy E. Lane, M.D., has discovered a compound, Llp2a-alendronate, that has the potential to improve common types of bone degeneration by directing stem cells to the surface of diseased bones to regrow new tissue. Lane and team are currently studying how blood vessels form in bone, and whether they become abnormal with aging, inflammation, and when anti-inflammatory steroids are prescribed.