Identification of the susceptibility genes for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA; MIM 165720) is a crippling disease characterized by loss of articular cartilage and formation of osteophyte. OA is a major problem in the current and future society. OA is a polygenic disease controlled by genetic and environmental factors. Recent advance in molecular genetics and high-throughput technology has enabled us to tackle genetic factors of common diseases including OA. Identification of its susceptibility genes (genetic factor) will open a new pavement for better treatment. We have been trying to identify the susceptibility genes for OA through large-scale association study. Here, we report the identification of two genes for OA, ASPN and CALM1 that code asporin and calmodulin, respectively.