THE HUMAN CONDITION

THE WAR AGAINST DISEASE IS MADE UP OF MANY BATTLES, AS MEDICAL SCIENCE TAKES ON A HOST OF MANKIND'S AFFLICTIONS, RANGING FROM THE MERELY ANNOYING TO THE TRULY LIFE-THREATENING. OVERALL, THE PROGNOSIS

ARTHRITIS

Some 2 million Americans suffer enduring pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which the body's immune system erodes the cartilage and bone near joints. While doctors still do not know why the body turns against itself, they are exploring some promising prospects for relief. One involves mimicking the activity that dampens the immune system in pregnant women, allowing their bodies to adjust to the presence of the foreign fetus. Some doctors believe repeated vaccinations of properly prepared foreign cells will curb the immune reaction enough to hinder the inflammation of arthritis. Other researchers are genetically engineering cells to...

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