利物浦大学联合AKL研究机构临床试验了一个新疗法治疗骨关节炎(OA)，这一实验吸引了英国八百万的风湿关节炎患者的加入。

　　研究指出，动物实验APPA---人工合成的大麻素和芍药醇，已经能够明显的减除OA的疼痛，并且能够功能性的缓解软骨的损伤。

　　OA患者所承受的疼痛往往是药物控制不了的，在很多时候，能够引起不能控制的副作用。通常看来，那些手术解决的疼痛在本质上是错误的。

　　实验的药物在作用于OA上的潜力是巨大的。一个很确定的证据表明，中性白细胞在炎症反应中有很大的作用，并且保证了我们不受感染。

　　According to researchers, in animal tests APPA - a proprietary combination of two synthetic molecules apocynin and paeonol - has already demonstrated significant pain relief from OA, improved functionality and the slowing of cartilage destruction.

　　The first study using human volunteers is now due to start shortly at the Liverpool Clinical Trials Unit (LCTU), under the direction of rheumatologist Professor Robert Moots from the University's Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease.

　　"The severe pain from OA is usually managed with prescription drugs that are often not effective and that also, in many cases, induce unacceptable side effects. In many cases, major joint replacement surgery is needed to help deal with the pain. This is surely wrong," commented Prof Moots.

　　"This drug has huge potential to provide an effective treatment for OA. A reliable and easy way to treat OA has clear potential to save large amounts of money for the NHS and greatly improve the lifestyle and health of patients".

　　Also commenting on the drug's promise, Professor Steven Edwards at the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said there is "considerable evidence" to show that neutrophils are activated in inflammatory diseases, but they are also essential in protecting us from infections.

　　"The 'holy grail' of anti-inflammatory targeting of neutrophils is specifically to block their tissue-damaging activities, but not compromise their ability to protect us. Work is ongoing but to date it appears that APPA does not target the host defence properties of neutrophils but does block their pro-inflammatory activities," he noted.

　　David Sharples, AKL's chief executive, said: "There remains a high unmet need for an effective, well tolerated OA drug, so understandably we are very excited by APPA's prospects".