Mission RA vs ReFleks

The MISSION-RA project is a programme of research with the aim of supporting people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis to lead physically active lifestyles. MISSION-RA is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and will run from October 2021, to November 2026.

At ReFleks we are developing new treatments for Osteoarthritis. In the UK, 8 million people have osteoarthritis. It is a disabling disease caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joint. One of the main causes of Osteoarthritis is a joint injury – but not everyone who has a joint injury will develop osteoarthritis. We want to understand why this is and who is most at risk. Then we can identify who will benefit from our treatments. A major problem in creating treatments for Osteoarthritis is that very few patients worsen within one year and therefore, showing benefit is very difficult and costly. At Bone & Joint Health we are starting a new study funded by the NIHR Barts BRC - the North East London Osteoarthritis (NELOA) study - which aims to identify markers to predict patient's prognosis. This can be done via blood tests, for instance. Such test would enable us to know who to treat and when, and to assess benefit in real time, without the need to wait years to see progression of joint damage. Our ReFleks App has been created together with Deep-C Vision and funded by the UKRI. You may have been invited to download this app if you have recently had a knee injury and have been invited to join our NELOA study.