A rational approach to the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) begins with understanding the disease, development of which can be influenced by environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors. Genetic and epigenetic data in RA are revealing insights into pathogenesis and revitalizing the shared epitope hypothesis. These advances are discussed in this Review, alongside approaches to integrating the findings of genetic and functional studies.
- Sebastien Viatte
- Darren Plant
- Soumya Raychaudhuri