Rheumatology | Featured Specialties | UC Davis Health

A clinical trial led by UC Davis Health physicians aims to improve the long-term use of buprenorphine for opioid addiction. The $6.4 million study is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and will explore telehealth compared to in-person follow-up appointments. The project addresses barriers to care including low income, lack of transportation, and social instability.

Researchers at UC Davis Health and UC San Francisco have identified a molecule known as Maternal Brain Hormone (CCN3) that increases bone density and strength. Their study, published in Nature, explains how women’s bones remain strong during breastfeeding, despite calcium being stripped from bones to support milk production. The discovery has the potential to treat bone conditions like osteoporosis.

A study by UC Davis Health showed how cytokines take the brakes off synovial cell growth in joints, leading to the abnormal tissue accumulation that’s associated with psoriatic arthritis. The research led by rheumatologist Siba Raychaudhuri, M.D., presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in November, revealed some of the molecular mechanisms that underpin this disease and highlighted how new, targeted therapies could help alleviate psoriatic arthritis.