Dermatology team finds treatment for rare condition triggered by cold

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

- Dermatologists at the Dalhousie Medical School have discovered anakinra (Kineret, Amgen), a receptor-blocking medication, eases pain and suffering caused by Familial Cold Autoinflammatory Syndrome (FCAS), ending a 20-year quest. The syndrome causes severe discomfort and physical incapacity when a person is exposed to cold,Newswise reports.

The eight-patient-clinical trial was conducted at Capital Health in Halifax, and the study results were published in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. Researchers first discovered the chromosomal site for FCAS, and six years later the specific receptor responsible for FCAS was identified. When triggered, the tumor necrosis factor receptor starts the FCAS symptoms. Anakinra had already been approved for a different inflammatory condition, rheumatoid arthritis, in Canada, according to Newswise.

Researchers found anakinra to be 100 percent effective when injected on a daily basis.