Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease associated with decreased life expectancy and quality of life. RA is characterized by chronic inflammation and synovial hyperplasia leading to destruction of cartilage and bone. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of RA has led to significant improvements in its treatment. However, many questions remain with respect to the pathogenesis of RA, and disease remission is achieved in only a minority of patients. Therefore, there is still a need to develop novel antirheumatic therapies. Animal models of RA complement descriptive studies of well-defined patient samples and in vitro studies and represent important tools for the development and evaluation of new treatment options.