News Hope for lupus treatment Versus Arthritis funded the UKs first clinical trial testing a combination of biological treatments for people with systemic lupus erthematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus. The trial found that the combination of two drugs rituximab and belimumab was safe, and there were promising results for effectiveness. Now, researchers have identified a way of finding out which people might respond best to this combination treatment. It may lead to the development of a new routine test, paving the way for more precise and personalised treatment for SLE. Did you know? Mind-body exercise, such as tai chi, can help with pain, sleep disturbance and mood disorders Digital tech for pain support A new initiative hopes to give tailored support to people in pain, using digital technology. The Digital Pain Therapeutics initiative at the Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, University of Manchester, is exploring ways to use digital health technologies to improve psychological and behavioural interventions for chronic pain. The team is looking to develop effective personalised chronic pain support using just-in-time adaptive intervention, an emerging approach developed to give the right support to the right person at the right time tailored to individual needs. While this approach is still in its early stages of development, the team has identified various challenges and opportunities to research. 6 versusarthritis.org PP05-07_Inspire_Summer 2023_Health News.indd 6 17/05/2023 12:01