Editorial

Biomarkers in osteoarthritis

Frances MK Williams and Tim D Spector

Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, King's College London School of Medicine, St Thomas' Campus, London SE1 7EH, UK

author email corresponding author email

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008, 10:101doi:10.1186/ar2344

Published:	16 January 2008

See related research by Hunter et al., http://arthritis-research.com/content/9/5/R108

Abstract

Biomarkers aid the study of osteoarthritis (OA) in a number of different ways. In this article we summarise briefly their multiple uses and reflect on how the study reported in a previous edition of Arthritis Research & Therapy should promote further investigation of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). COMP is foremost among hitherto investigated biomarkers and is most consistently shown to predict knee OA progression. Precisely what role it plays in OA pathogenesis remains unclear and elucidating this may be key to defining, and then targeting, the cellular pathways involved in OA.