NZ researcher aids arthritis discovery

A New Zealand woman is among a team of researchers who have identified the enzyme responsible for destroying cartilage in inflammatory arthritis.

The finding, described by the researchers as a "major advance", could eventually lead to the development of drugs designed to inhibit the enzyme, potentially benefiting many thousands of arthritis sufferers.

Doctorate student Charlotte East was one of seven people at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the University of Melbourne involved in the research, which has just been published in the journal Nature.

Lead researcher Dr Amanda Fosang said animal trials found the enzyme, known as ADAMTS5, was responsible for degrading aggregan (a protein in cartilage) leading to cartilage destruction. In healthy joints, aggregan gives cartilage its ability to bear load and resist compression.

"Our data suggests this enzyme may be a suitable target for the development of new drugs designed to inhibit cartilage destruction in arthritis," she said.

Dr Fosang described the research as a "major advance" but said based on a best-case scenario it was likely to be 10 to 15 years before any drug was available for general use.