Researchers to investigate bone changes in osteoarthritis

Arthritis Research UK is funding new a study that offers new hope for people with osteoarthritis by preventing the painful excessive bone thickening often seen in the their joints. 

A research team at the University of Edinburgh have been awarded £179,000 from the charity to carry out a three-year study investigating bone changes around joints that take place in osteoarthritis. Researchers hope the findings will provide clues for how to stop disease progression and even provide a new treatment. 

Progressive thickening of the bone underneath the joint cartilage is a hallmark of osteoarthritis and is thought to trigger cartilage destruction, leading to further progression of the disease. The team will look at whether a protein, called E11, is responsible for making bone cells that are capable of producing a protective protein, called sclerostin, which acts as a natural shield against bone thickening in osteoarthritis. If so, they hope to harness its action for a potential new drug therapy. 

 Professor Colin Farquharson, lead researcher of the study, from the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Existing treatments for people with osteoarthritis are extremely limited, partly due to a lack of understanding of the disease. New and effective therapies for this condition, which is often very disabling for people, are therefore very much needed. However to achieve this, it is necessary to first identify the key factors involved in disease onset and progression. 

“The role of E11 in osteoarthritis has not yet been explored. The team will examine first the role of this protein in the disease and then look at whether progressive bone thickening can be limited by increasing levels of E11.” 

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease worldwide. In the UK, around a third of people aged 45 years and over, totalling 8.75 million people, have sought treatment from their GP for the condition. The condition causes pain and stiffness in the joints due to cartilage at the ends of bones wearing away. 

Professor Alan Silman, medical director at charity Arthritis Research UK, said: “Osteoarthritis has a significant personal impact on people’s lives as it causes chronic pain and joint dysfunction. 

“This study offers hope of an improved understanding of the bone changes in osteoarthritis, which has the potential to lead to the development of new, more effective treatments to combat and prevent this disease.”