Manchester scientist awarded major grant for research into arthritis
A Manchester scientist has been awarded a major grant of £211, 831 from the Arthritis Research Campaign to track down the genetic causes of osteoarthritis.
Dr Gillian Wallis, senior lecturer in medicine at the University of Manchester's department of biological sciences, will spend the next two years working in collaboration with geneticists at the University of Oxford.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition affecting more than one million people in the UK, leading to stiffness and pain in the joints. Sixty per cent of people aged over 64 suffer from OA in at least one joint. OA is no longer regarded as an inevitable part of the ageing process, and there is increasing evidence that genes play a major part in its development.
"Over the past decade, advances in DNA technology means we are in a position to search the human genome for the OA genes," explained Dr Wallis.
"We and others have already narrowed the search down to ten regions on the human chromosomes. We now plan to examine the ten regions in a detailed and comprehensive manner to determine which are most likely to contain the OA genes."
Understanding the genetic basis of arthritis conditions could have enormous implications for patients. If scientists can identify those who are at greatest risk of developing disease, they can then be advised about lifestyle changes that may slow down disease progression. It may also lead to the development of more effective clinical treatments, including new drugs.
The Arthritis Research Campaign is the fifth biggest medical research charity in the UK, and the only one solely dedicated to finding the cure for and cause of all forms of the disease.
Manchester is a leading ARC-funded centre, with the charity currently pumping in almost £3.5m into 25 different research projects in the city.
