New hope in therapy for osteoarthritis

World's largest genetic study on osteoarthritis provides new treatment approaches

In the world's largest genetic study on arthrosis, new changes in the genetic material associated with the disease have been discovered. In addition, the researchers found approaches to partially existing drugs in osteoarthritis can use.

Around five million Germans are affected by the disease

Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal disease in the world and the major cause of disability. In this country, according to the German Arthrose-Hilfe about five million people are affected. So far, there is no disease-specific treatment. But there is a lot that helps sufferers. A new study has now shown that certain partially existing drugs are promising candidates to test them in the use against osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis can cause significant pain in the joints. Researchers have now discovered more than 50 new genetic changes related to the disease. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

Degenerative disease of the joints

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints. These take damage, lose mobility and begin to hurt.

The pain is often unbearable. Therefore, many sufferers are sparing. However, exercise in osteoarthritis can often relieve the discomfort.

Natural remedies also relieve osteoarthritis pain and stiffness. These include, among others, devil's claw and nettle extract.

In addition, osteoarthritis treatment options of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), as well as procedures such as acupuncture, cupping or Qi Gong are suitable.

The diet also plays an important role. With arthrosis you should not eat meat and only a little cheese. Last but not least, sufferers are usually advised to lose weight if they are overweight.

Many patients, however, rely on painkillers. Researchers now report in a study on partially existing drugs that are promising candidates to test them in use against osteoarthritis.

Changes in the genetic material

As the Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Health and Environment reports in a report, scientists have discovered 52 new changes in the genome, which are linked to osteoarthritis.

According to the information doubled thereby the number of the places known in this regard. In the largest ever genetic study on arthrosis ever conducted, the researchers also found approaches to using partially existing drugs for osteoarthritis.

The work was published in the journal "Nature Genetics" by Prof. Dr. med. Eleftheria Zeggini, recently Director of the Institute at Helmholtz Zentrum München. In a video she explains the background of the work.

Genetics of osteoarthritis patients analyzed

Researchers at the UK's Wellcome Sanger Institute, in partnership with GSK, have analyzed the genetic makeup of over 77,000 osteoarthritic patients and compared it to that of more than 370,000 healthy people to get to the root of the disease and new treatment options to find.

The samples came from the arcOGEN study and the UK biobank in the UK. The scientists included many different types of arthrosis, including those in the knee and hip area.

Genes that are most likely the cause of osteoarthritis

"Osteoarthritis is a very common, incurable disease," commented Prof. Dr. med. Eleftheria Zeggini, Director of the newly established Institute for Translational Genomics at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and previously at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

"We have performed the largest ever arthritis study and found over 50 new genetic alterations that increase the risk of disease. This is a big step forward in the development of therapies that could help millions of sufferers. "

In order to find out which genes are responsible for the disease, the team of scientists also included functional genome data and analyzed gene activity and protein expression in addition to the genetic material.

The researchers were able to understand which genes were read and converted into proteins particularly often. The corresponding tissue was from osteoarthritis patients who underwent joint replacement surgery.

By combining several different datasets, the scientists were able to identify the genes that are most likely the cause of osteoarthritis.

According to the information, ten of them are already targeted for drugs that are either in clinical development or already approved for osteoarthritis and other diseases.

According to the researchers, these drugs would be promising candidates to test them for use against osteoarthritis.

Illness affects people very differently

"There are over 8.5 million people affected by osteoarthritis across the UK," said Drs. Stephen Simpson, research director of the charities Versus Arthritis, who supported the arcOGEN study.

"We know that the disease affects people very differently: A treatment that works in one person does not have to be successful in another person," said the expert.

"Therefore, this study represents an important milestone in understanding the complexity of osteoarthritis and finding new treatment options," Dr. Simpson.

"In the long term, research should help end the pain, isolation, and fatigue of people with arthritis." (Ad)