(SOURCE: King's College London, news release, Sept. 21, 2012)
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Lower back pain that occurs
when discs in the spine deteriorate over time may be linked to a
specific gene, according to a new study. Researchers at King's
College London said their findings could lead to the development
of new treatments for this common type of back pain, known as
lumbar disc degeneration. Vertebrates develop bony growths
called osteophytes when the discs next to them become dehydrated
and lose height. These growths can lead to lower back pain. More
than one-third of middle-aged women have at least one degenerate
disc, the researchers said, and between 65 and 80 percent of the
people with this condition inherited it. By comparing the spines
of 4,600 people using MRI images and mapping their genes, the
study found the PARK2 gene, in particular, was linked to those
with degenerating discs. This gene, they explained, may be
turned off in people with lumbar disc degeneration. The
researchers also s