Arthritis Ireland announced a major step forward for the Irish medical research sector recently, with the establishment of world-class centres of rheumatology research at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD). The Chairs of Rheumatology were first announced in May of this year as a way to further Irish research in all areas of the specialty.
The Chairs, which are being created thanks to Arthritis Ireland raising over over €3.5 million, will “put Ireland at the forefront of European research into rheumatological conditions in the hope of developing innovative new treatments and finding a cure,” according to the organisation. The Chairs of Rheumatology will initially be established in UCD and TCDand will provide cutting-edge teaching, training and research.
“Appointments to the two Chairs of Rheumatology are expected to be made early in the new year, with advertising of the positions commencing shortly,” a spokesperson for Arthritis Ireland said.
“It is envisaged that they will provide strong leadership and support to all the relevant research centres in the country. The funding for the project has been derived from several sources: Significant grants from the Atlantic Philanthropies and a matching fund raised by Arthritis Ireland, with further support from the HSE, the pharmaceutical industry, and individuals, as well as donations from the branch network of Arthritis Ireland.”
Each of the two Chairs of Rheumatology to be appointed will come with a full-time postdoctoral researcher and administration support. Under the arrangement, the universities would take over funding of the posts after five years, with the HSE funding the clinical sessions — approximately 40 per cent of Chair time.
Consultant rheumatologist Dr Gaye Cunnane told IMN it is “a very exciting time” to be working in the area of rheumatology. “The developments of the Chairs of Rheumatology, which were initially championed by Arthritis Ireland, are hugely promising and are likely to build on the strong international reputation of Irish rheumatology research and best practice.”
She said she hopes that the developments in arthritis research will attract more graduates into the specialty.
“It is our hope that such progress would encourage more medical and science graduates into the field of rheumatology and give them an impetus to stay in Ireland, while attracting talent from abroad. This is a huge step with great potential and the efforts of the various organisations involved in making it should be applauded.”
Recent statistics show that only 25 per cent of medical undergraduates receive any formal teaching in rheumatology in Ireland, which is part of what led Arthritis Ireland to raise the funding for the academic research posts. According to Chairman of the Medical Research Charities Group (MRCG) Mr John McCormack, the research Chairs will help to protect research time in the specialty.
He said Ireland was bottom of the league table in the European Union in peer-reviewed research and paper generation in the area of rheumatology.
“There are multiple examples around the EU and the United States where the more research carried out in rheumatology, the better the patient service,” Mr McCormack added.
Well-respected rheumatology research is still carried out in Ireland and published in peer-reviewed international journals, despite any obstacles to carrying out the work.
Professor Oliver FitzGerald, Newman Clinical Research Professor at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, told IMN that although training at an undergraduate level has actually improved, it still needs to increase.
“The low number of graduates receiving training in rheumatology contrasts with the fact that some 30 per cent of all GP visits are musculoskeletal-related, like arthritis and back pain,” said Prof FitzGerald.
He said that one of the vital aspects of the new research posts is allowing for protected research time in rheumatology.
“There are just 26.5 consultant rheumatologists in Ireland, and although good research is being carried out when possible, we have no dedicated time in which to do it, which is very important,” said Prof FitzGerald.
He and colleagues at St Vincent’s Hospital recently published a review in the journal Clinical Rheumatology in which they describe the evidence base around the potential of vitamin D for various musculoskeletal conditions.
As part of the Translation Rheumatology Research Group, Prof FitzGerald and colleagues, including Professor Doug Veale, have also just published a study in PLoS One which examined natural killer (NK) cells and natural killer cell receptor(+) T (NKT) cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients who are in remission following anti-TNF therapy.
It is Prof FitzGerald and Arthritis Ireland’s hope that research such as this can continue; Arthritis Ireland hope to eventually have a Chair in every medical school, starting with UCD and Trinity.
“We will be creating six new jobs this year and aiming to put the rheumatology sub-specialty higher up in the level of focus and importance in Ireland, thus attracting more medical graduates into this discipline and also attracting future funding in research,” Mr McCormack said.
Also speaking to IMN was Professor Dermot Kelleher, Head of the School of Medicine at UCD. Prof Kelleher highlighted the importance of protecting both basic and clinical research in Ireland.
“Some of the most important research in rheumatology was done in Ireland, on biologic drugs, for example; trials that changed rheumatology,” he said. “In Ireland we have gone to the trouble of having a good infrastructure in place for innovative basic and clinical research and if the investment doesn’t continue that will all be wasted. It also has huge implications for the economy, attracting investment.”
