Researchers have probably made a decisive step in osteoarthritis research.
A new study reveals exciting details.
Kassel - A team of international scientists has apparently reached a "milestone" in research. In their new study on the hitherto incurable joint disease osteoarthritis, they reported that they found “new genetic risk factors as well as drug targets”. This is the largest study to date in this field of research: data from more than 825,000 patients from nine different population groups from different countries were analyzed. The investigation was led by the Helmholtz Center in Munich.
“We now know a lot more about the genetic basis of this serious and stressful disease.
That would not have been possible without our extensive international cooperation, ”explains Eleftheria Zeggini.
She is director at the Institute for Translational Genomics at the Helmholtz Zentrum München.
She also researches and teaches in this area at the Technical University of Munich.
Treating osteoarthritis: the disease has so far been incurable
Osteoarthritis or osteoarthritis has so far been considered an incurable disease that affects around 300 million people worldwide, as reported by the Helmholtz Center.
The findings of the new study could now change that.
According to the researchers, the results of the study would have a direct impact on the research and development of possible drugs.
At the center of this is in particular the aspect of differences in the risk of disease for joints with and without weight load, it is said.
In addition, risk factors in women in particular were examined.
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Osteoarthritis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
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© Infinite Lux / Imago Images
“By studying osteoarthritis in multiple joints, we also found specific genetic changes that are at risk for all forms of the disease.
Some of these genes could turn out to be drug targets for osteoarthritis, regardless of which joint is affected, ”emphasizes Cindy Boer, one of the study's first authors.
Boer is researching this topic in the Ersamus MC program in the Netherlands.
Certain genes are more likely than others to influence the course of the disease.
In addition, they can be described as the cause of the disease, as the study says.
According to the scientists, these findings are crucial in the further development of drugs against osteoarthritis.
However, the researchers emphasize that this field needs to be researched in more detail. Additional studies on a similar scale are necessary for this. (do)
