RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A CONTEMPORARY REVIEW OF ETIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, AND THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease characterised by synovial inflammation, progressive cartilage and bone erosion, and extra-articular organ involvement. Despite major therapeutic advances over the past two decades, a substantial proportion of patients fail to achieve sustained remission, underscoring the need for a continuously updated understanding of its multifactorial etiology, complex immunopathogenesis, and the mechanistic basis of current and emerging therapies.