Osteoporosis – finding the genetic fingerprint

Osteoporosis 

(Image source: www.soylabs.com) 

An extensive genome-wide search has been undertaken to find the genes linked to osteoporosis and fracture. Five regions of interest have been identified that appear to warrant further scientific investigation.

The Garvan Institute for Medical Research collaborated with the Icelandic genetics company, deCode, in a project that looked at 1500 women from Garvan’s Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study as well as more than 12,000 women from Iceland and Denmark.

The collaborative study examined more than 300,000 such markers and found 12 that were linked to bone mineral density and 6 linked to fragility fractures. Some of these SNPs are close to genes that are already known to be associated with osteoporosis.

The next step will be identifying what those genes are and how they might contribute to scientists understanding of osteoporosis and its prevention.

http://www.decode.com/News/2008_04_29.php

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com