Characterisation of a new biomarker of osteoarthritis

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A Research Study To Identify The Characterisation Of A New Biomarker Of Osteoarthritis

• IRAS ID

  21306

• Eudract number

  2009-011886-99

• Research summary

  Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting the adult population. It is a painful, debilitating disease of the joints that causes damage to and loss of cartilage and has no known cure.However there are pharmaceutical research programmes which are aiming to develop a therapy to combat this disease. These programmes are significantly hampered by the lack of a reliable method of monitoring disease progression.In order to be able to test new drugs, a simple, reliable way to measure cartilage damage is urgently needed. The current method using X-Ray and MRI are not sufficiently sensitive.Cartilage biomarkers from damaged cartilage can be detected in the blood and urine. An amino acid has been detected which shows up on the analysis as a peak at 21 minutes (the 21-minute peak, 21MP) and most probably is associated with the changes in OA cartilage. Its levels are highest closest to the OA lesion and it can be detected in urine. We now need to test to see if detecting 21MP in the urine may be an accurate marker of osteoarthritis.

• REC name

  South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  09/H0106/59

• Date of REC Opinion

  27 Jul 2009

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion