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The Division of Rheumatic and Autoimmune Diseases seeks the cure for a diverse group of systemic diseases affecting a wide range of organ systems, usually including the synovial joints and their surrounding connective tissues and bones. Although the cause of many of these illnesses is unknown, most share some form of immunopathology that leads to uncontrolled inflammation, pain, disability, and often tissue destruction. Some of these illnesses are better understood, such as the post traumatic and crystalline Arthropathies, Osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis; however, ongoing basic research in the Division and elsewhere is leading to an ever greater understanding of the autoimmunity that leads to systemic inflammatory diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Polymysitis/Dermatomyositis (PM/DM). The major academic effort of this Division is biomedical research in these areas.