Synovial biomarkers and clinical trials

In a recent study, researchers found that changes in synovial tissue could serve as a means of measuring the effectiveness of clinical trials in patients with spondyloarthropathic diseases. Essentially, it's a new way of measuring whether a treatment is effective using a small patient sample over a short period of time. The researchers studied 52 patients over 12 weeks -- 20 were given Enbrel, 20 were given Remicade, and 12 were controls -- and could see the changes in the disease's progress through synovial tissue analysis. The implications? Being able to measure a new drug's effectiveness more quickly and effectively.