Researchers recently announced that they have identified two genes responsible for causing ankylosing spondylitis. This disease causes back pain and progressive stiffness, and eventual fusing of the spine. Researchers believe that the same treatment currently being used to treat people suffering from Crohn’s disease may benefit people suffering from AS as well.
Scientists have believed that it was a genetic condition, but weren’t able to isolate the genes believed to be involved in creation of this disease. Now, researchers have identified two genes that appear to contribute to the occurrence. Participation in the human genome program has helped lead researchers to their findings.
“It is a painful and often very disabling disease. Yet, our understanding of the causes of the disease, and hence our ability to treat it effectively, is relatively poor,” said Matthew Brown, a professor from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford.
Before this study, scientists already knew that it was common to see people with AS have other autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis or Crohn’s disease. This research has shown that these diseases are genetically linked.
Knowing that these diseases are genetically linked has opened the door for research into treating disease. One of the treatments under investigation for Crohn’s disease involves inhibiting the ability for a particular gene to become inflamed. Armed with this new knowledge, researchers will also look for ways that this research can help people suffering from it.
Researchers studied the DNA of over 1,000 different patients who had this disease. They also studied the DNA of over 1,500 people who did not have this disease. They wanted to see if genetics could have played a role in the development of this disease. Not only did they discover genetic differences, but their results also were verified by a different team of researchers at the University of Texas (Houston).
It is a form of degenerative inflammatory arthritis that typically affects the spine and joints. The spines of people who suffer from it will eventually find that their spine has fused together.
It affects up to 1 in 500 women and 1 in 200 men in the United Kingdom. This disease usually strikes people in their twenties, or late teens.
Famous people who have suffered with AS include Ed Sullivan – the Ed Sullivan Television Show, Mick Mars – guitarist with Motley Crue, Lee Hurst – British comedian, Rico Brogna – former U.S. Major League baseball player, and Mike Atherton – former England cricket captain.
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