ORAL DRUGS AND FUNCTIONAL FOODS FOR TREATING AND PREVENTING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

摘要

An oral remedy for rheumatoid arthritis and a functional food each comprising type II collagen which has been denatured (fragmented) under specific conditions. It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease wherein type II collagen serves as the antigen. Because of having a high oral tolerogenicity, the denatured type II collagen suppresses the immune response to type II collagen and enables the prevention and treatment of RA. In particular, it exerts the effect of permitting the prevention and treatment of RA via convenient oral administration thereof.