Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents an example of the autoimmune disease. With a prevalence of 1% worldwide, the pathogenesis of RA is not clear yet. At present it is thought that the pathogenesis of RA results from an inflammatory response mediated by CD4+ Th1 cells that recognize unidentified antigens present in bone joints. Recently, there is a growing evidence for a role for Th17 lymphocytes in autoimmunity, including RA, suggesting that this population of helper cells may be more important in the pathogenesis of RA than Th1 cells. Thus far, treatment modalities for RA are limited, with the prevailing one acting nonspecifically on the immune system. However, such an approach results in a general immunosuppression and is accompanied by severe side-effects. There is a large demand for developing RA therapy that particularly targets pathogenic antigen-specific T cells. Research on pathogenesis of the autoimmune diseases, and development of new drugs is now possible thanks to experimental animal models that mimic human diseases. Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in genetically susceptible strains of mice, rats, rabbits or rhesus monkeys has been used as an experimental model of RA, as it shares many histological and immunological features. The knowledge gained using this model allows to better understand the pathogenesis of RA and, consequently, to manipulate particular components of the immune system to develop efficient therapies.