that could discover the causes of rheumatoid arthritis is all but abandoned through lack of funds.

However the project could still go on because a pharmaceutical company has expressed some interest.

The second part of the study required $25,000 in order to go ahead, but Dr.

Henry Subair who is handling the Bermudian component along with Dr. Keith Cunningham said the project was scaled down.

Dr. Subair said that a lack of funding from the public and private sources had forced the length of the project -- originally expected to cost $50,000 and run for one year -- to be cut back to six months.

But he said that if the money could not be raised by the end of this month, the whole project would have to be scrapped.

"I haven't heard anything from the United Kingdom and I know that they will not wait forever,'' he said. "There is nothing really for them to wait for because there has been nothing forthcoming from anyone.

"A medical representative from a drug company has approached me and asked for an outline of the study and what we require but we only got that offer on Friday.

"Before I do that I will have to contact the United Kingdom. I hope it is not too late.

"At this point nothing is promised. The medical representative intends to forward it to their headquarters for their consideration.'' Dr. Subair and Dr. Cunningham, chief pathologist at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, have been collaborating in this project with Bermuda-born Dr. Clyde Wilson and Dr. Alan Ebringer who are specialists at King's College, University of London, England, and other doctors at the UCL School of Medicine at Middlesex Hospital in London.

Part one of the study has already taken place and been published in The Journal of Rheumatology, a prestigious international medical periodical.

Part two of the study was supposed to start at the end of this month and run for 12 months at a cost of $50,000. It is now slated to last six months.