New Biomarker Test Predicts Arthritis Before Symptoms Appear
More than 27 million adults currently suffer from
osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis. In
the past, doctors have been unable to diagnose patients with
arthritis until they begin to show symptoms, which include joint
pain and stiffness. By the time these symptoms are present, it
is often too late for preventive and minimally invasive
treatment options to be effective. Now, a research team from the
University of Missouri's Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory has
found a way to detect and predict arthritis before patients
begin suffering from symptoms. James Cook, a researcher from the
MU College of Veterinary Medicine and the William C. and Kathryn
E. Allen Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery, along
with MU researchers Bridget Garner, Aaron Stoker, Keiichi
Kuroki, Cristi Cook, and Prakash Jayabalan, have developed a
test using specific biomarkers that can accurately determine if
a patient is developing arthritis as wel