Many of the genes highlighted are already targeted by licensed drugs, meaning they could be repurposed to treat osteoarthritis
Scientists have identified new genetic risk factors for osteoarthritis, which could now be treated with licensed drugs repurposed to target the debilitating condition.
In the largest study of osteoarthritis to date, an international team of researchers from the Genetics of Osteoarthritis consortium discovered new genetic risk factors for the disease and have identified high-value drug targets.
The findings of the research, led by Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Zentrum München in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, are a milestone in the development of the first ever curative treatment for osteoarthritis.
Professor Mark Wilkinson, Co-author of the study, University of Sheffield’s Department of Oncology and Metabolism said, “Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints and affects over 300 million individuals worldwide. It causes a gradually increasing degeneration of the cartilage on the joint surface, resulting in chronic pain and stiffness. Until now, there has been no curative treatment available for osteoarthritis. Our research has pinpointed genes for osteoarthritis which are already the targets of approved drugs, meaning we can reposition these drugs as potential treatments for osteoarthritis.”
Eleftheria Zeggini, Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Zentrum München said, “This is a major step forward in understanding this debilitating disease and could not have been achieved without this international team effort.”
The researchers also found previously unknown differences in disease risk for weight bearing and non-weight-bearing joints, the first ever female-specific risk factors for developing disease, and the first risk factors for early-onset disease.
For the first time, they found genetic links between osteoarthritis and its main symptom, pain.
Cindy Boer, of Erasmus MC Netherlands and co-first author of the article said, “Because we have investigated osteoarthritis in multiple joints, we have also identified specific genetic changes that underpin the risk for all forms of osteoarthritis. Some of these genes may prove to be validated as therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis, regardless of the joint affected.”
This work provides a robust springboard for the necessary follow-up functional and clinical research to see how these drugs will affect patient outcomes.