Riken Researchers Locate Susceptibility Gene for Osteoarthritis

The leading Japanese scientific research organization Riken has recently located a susceptibility gene for osteoarthritis. A research group led by Shiro Ikegawa at Riken's Laboratory for Bone and Joint Diseases has identified an asporin gene (ASPN) as one of the causative genes. Further, the group has found that the risk of osteoarthritis can be doubled when an ASPN allele provides a polymorphism, namely 14 aspartic acid repeats. The latest discovery may contribute to the development of treatments and drugs for osteoarthritis.

Japan Corporate News Network (http://japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=9610)