By analyzing the DNA of 14,000 volunteer study participants, British scientists are trying to pinpoint the genetic causes of osteoarthritis. The project, called arcOGEN, will compare DNA samples of 8,000 osteoarthritis (OA) patients with DNA samples from 6,000 healthy volunteers. Thirty geneticists and 8 centers throughout the UK will participate.
ArcOGEN will scan the genome, searching for genetic mutations common to osteoarthritis patients. ArcOGEN will try to identify the genetic mutations that raise the risk of developing osteoarthritis. The goal of this research is to develop a simple test that would determine the risk of developing severe forms of osteoarthritis. It is also the goal to develop new osteoarthritis treatments which would be tried ahead of joint replacement surgery.
According to the Arthritis Research Campaign, "It is known that there is a considerable genetic component to osteoarthritis, and those people with a parent or sibling with the condition are two to three times more likely to develop OA than those who don't. However, there are also other risk factors such as obesity, a sports injury or a heavy manual occupation. It may become possible for medics to perform a genetic-risk profile alongside a lifestyle-risk profile to determine the overall risk, and then offer treatment or advice on how the risk could be reduced."
