New hope for arthritis sufferers
New hope for arthritis sufferers
2008-09-29Newsfeed
The pain of arthritis and osteoporosis may be eased for millions thanks to a discovery by researchers at Manchester and Oxford Universities.
The pain of arthritis and osteoporosis may be eased for millions thanks to a discovery by researchers at Manchester and Oxford Universities.
They have found a protein molecule that may help develop new and safer treatments to protect against inflammation and halt bone erosion. The protein, TSG-6, is produced in inflamed tissue such as arthritic joints.
Professor Tony Day, from Manchester's Faculty of Life Sciences, and Dr Afsie Sabokbar, of the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Oxford, led the study, to be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Dr Sabokbar said: "Bone formation and bone breakdown are happening all the time, and we now have good evidence that TSG-6 normally works to maintain a balance between these two processes.
"Our latest research shows that in inflammatory conditions, TSG-6 can inhibit the erosion of bone. This suggests that it might halt the excessive erosion that occurs in conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis."
Although inflammation is the body's natural response to tissue injury, the effect of too much inflammation can be devastating. It can mean tissue is destroyed faster than it is replaced and, in the joints, this means deterioration of cartilage and bone.
Copyright � The Press Association 2008
