A pre-clinical study reported the beneficial effects of triple-action NEM brand eggshell membrane (from ESM Technologies/Stratum Nutrition) on multiple indices of inflammation and arthritis in collagen-induced arthritic rats, the gold-standard animal model of human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was published in Modern Rheumatology (DOI: 10.1080/14397595.2016.1259729), and supports and extends previous research showing the benefit of NEM for pain and stiffness in humans with osteoarthritis and in a rodent model of osteoarthritis.

This study was conducted at Bolder BioPATH, Inc. (Boulder, CO) in rats with developing collagen-induced arthritis. Rats received once daily either NEM (52 mg/kg body weight corresponding to the human equivalent dose of 500 mg/day), methotrexate, or vehicle control. Treatment with NEM resulted in a significant reduction in ankle swelling within two days after measurable swelling began. Histopathologically, NEM-treated rats had significantly less inflammation, cartilage damage, bone resorption, and pannus formation in both their ankle and knee joints compared to vehicle control animals. Serum CTX-II (collagen type II C-telopeptide) and COMP (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein) were reduced by 32% and 40%, respectively, on Day 13 in NEM-treated rats. Synovial Interleukin (IL)-1β, a key mediator of inflammation, was reduced by 50% in NEM-treated rats when evaluated by knee lavage.

Co-author Dr. Alison Bendele, a pioneer in developing and validating animal models of inflammation and arthritis, commented on the study: “Using the gold standard animal model of RA, a strong study design that included all required controls along with a comparator drug (methotrexate), and the use of validated, complementary indices of efficacy including physical, histological, and biochemical assessments, we found that supplementation with NEM significantly improved every index to meaningful degrees. These results provide impressive new evidence for the immune modulating activity of NEM in the context of collagen-induced inflammation and arthritis, along with a solid rationale for continuing this line of research.”

This study, along with additional published studies, provides further substantiation for NEM supporting a healthy inflammatory response.