The drug talarozole – which increases retinoic acid – could be a promising new treatment for hand osteoarthritis.

Tonia Vincent, Professor of Musculoskeletal Biology & Honorary Rheumatologist at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), said: ‘Hand osteoarthritis is a common and debilitating medical condition that affects mainly women, especially around the time of the menopause. We currently have no effective treatments that modify their disease.’

Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) is common in medical practice and many advocate early use of DMARDs; yet a recent study shows that despite DMARD use, UA patients do not fair well with this approach.

Patients and their family for years have been inviting me to their dinners, picnics, baptisms, anniversaries, and funerals. I always felt somewhat awkward when asked to participate in a patient’s life outside of my office or the hospital setting and usually will decline politely. I tell myself I should not blur the lines between patient care and friendship. I broke this rule recently.