Health News
Osteoarthritis Initiative Releases First Data
August 5 2006
The Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a public-private partnershipbetween the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private industry thatseeks to improve diagnosis and monitoring of osteoarthritis (OA) andfoster development of new treatments, has released its first set of data.
Making this information available to researchers worldwide willexpedite the pace of scientific studies and identification of biologicaland structural markers (biomarkers) for OA. Researchers can analyze the data toform new hypotheses for further study of OA, which is the major cause ofactivity limitation and disability in older people. Images, including xrays and magnetic resonance imaging scans, will also be available toresearchers upon request. All data are stored with an anonymous identificationnumber to protect the confidentiality of the participants™ information.
śSince its inception, the OAI has been a premier example ofhow industry, government, and academic sectors might work together toadd value to biomedical research,ť says NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D.śThis first data release is proof positive that withcooperation, we can achieve results that neither the government nor its privatepartners is able to reach alone.ť
Over the next five years, the OAI will provide an unparalleled,state-of-the-art longitudinal database of images and clinical outcome informationto facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for development and progression of OA.In this case, a biomarker would be a physical sign or biological substancethat indicates changes in bone or cartilage.
Nearly 5,000 people at risk of developing knee OA, in the earlystage of the disease or with more advanced knee OA are participating in theOAI at four centers around the United States. Participants in theresearch study provide biological specimens (blood, urine, and DNA); images (Xrays and magnetic resonance scans); and clinical data such as dietaryintake, medication use and pain, function, and general health assessments.
Data gathered from participants are available to researchers at http://www.oai.ucsf.edu.The data include symptoms; pain severity; a measure of pain,stiffness, and function known as the WOMAC OA index; walking ability;endurance; balance and strength; nutrition; and prescription medicines andalternative therapies used by the participants.
A second set of data will be released later in 2006, and a thirdrelease will take place early in 2007. Subsequent data will be released atapproximately six - month intervals.
The four centers taking part in the study and theirprincipal investigators include:
- The University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore;
- Marc Hochberg, M.D., M.P.H., in conjunction with Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center; Joan Bathon, M.D.
- The Ohio State University, Columbus; Rebecca Jackson, M.D.
- The University of Pittsburgh; C. Kent Kwoh, M.D.
- Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island , Pawtucket; CharlesEaton, M.D.
The study is coordinated and the data from the study and the Website are managed by the University of California, San Francisco. Theprincipal investigator for the Data Coordinating Center is Michael Nevitt, Ph.D.
Today, 35 million people - 13 percent of the U.S. population - are 65 and older, and more than half of them have radiologicalevidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint. By 2030, an estimated 20percent of Americans - about 70 million people - will have passed their 65th birthday and will be at increased risk for OA.
The OAI is a public-private partnership comprised of fivecontracts funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal andSkin Diseases (NIAMS), National Institute on Aging (NIA), Office of Research onWomen's Health (ORWH), National Institute of Dental and CraniofacialResearch (NIDCR), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering(NIBIB), National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) andNational Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), all part ofthe Department of Health and Human Services™ National Institutes of Health.Private funding partners include Merck Research Laboratories, NovartisPharmaceuticals Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer Inc. Private-sectorfunding for the OAI is managed by the Foundation for the National Institutesof Health.
The mission of the NIAMS is to support research into the causes,treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases;the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; andthe dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.
SOURCE: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal andSkin Diseases (NIAMS)
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