Discovery of novel therapies for rheumatic diseases and associated pain requires suitable and relevant disease models: a comparison of monoarthritis and polyarthritis efficacy models.

Chronic pain associated with rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) affects millions of people every year. This pain subsequently affects almost every aspect of a person’s life and has a substantial impact on economics such as health insurance, lost wages, reduced productivity and increased incidence of depression and suicide. These facts highlight the need for relevant disease models to assess new therapies for both inflammation and pain associated with the disease.