SPARCC Researchers Find New Gene Discovery in AS

An important relationship between AS, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease was found. In a remarkable example of basic science clarifying clinical relationships, SPARCC has discovered that a single gene plays an important role as a risk factor for all three diseases. The gene encodes the receptor for a chemical mediator of inflammation called IL-23. The SPARCC team examined cohorts of AS patients from rheumatic disease centers across Canada, making this a distinctively Canadian discovery. Dr. Photon Rahman comments: “This opens the door for earlier diagnosis of these conditions since measuring levels of interleukin-23 might reveal provide clues to inflammation in the joints, bowel and skin. Also, it suggests that new treatments which target interleukin-23 might be effective in all three diseases. This is an example of a discovery in genetics which opens the door to new therapies.”