ORAL REMEDY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND FUNCTIONAL FOOD

摘要

Oral drugs and functional foods of the present invention contain type-II collagen denatured (fragmented) under specific conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been considered to be an autoimmune disease against type-II collagen as an antigen. Since denatured type-II collagen of the invention induces high oral immune tolerance and inhibits immune responses against type-II collagen, it can prevent and treat RA. Particularly, RA can effectively be prevented and treated by simple oral administration of type-II collagen.