New research from the Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatism has reported evidence to suggest that as well as being a symptom of osteoarthritis, pain may also cause arthritis. Researchers found that some of the pathways carrying pain signals also transferred inflammation from arthritic joints to the spine and back again. In the experiment, the researchers genetically engineered a mouse where they could turn up and turn down the production of a chemical (IL-1β ) known to be involved in inflammation. Most notably, they found that increasing production of IL-1β at the peripheral joint caused higher levels of IL-1β to be produced in the spinal cord. This finding is important as it may help researchers develop new drug targets to try and prevent the spread of inflammation.