Researchers at King’s College London’s Twin Research Unit have discovered new ways of measuring metabolites in the blood which could be used to diagnose osteoarthritis earlier.

Their new biochemical test called metabolomics allows the scientists to test for 163 chemical signals at the same time from a single blood sample. These chemical signals are indicators of the metabolism of human cells and their 26,000 metabolite ratios represent the chemical reactions going on in the human body.

The team first studied 123 women with osteoarthritis of the knee and 299 healthy women from the Twins UK register, comparing the difference in the metabolites and the 26,000 metabolite ratios between the two groups. They found that 14 metabolite ratios were significantly associated with osteoarthritis. The team then tested these signals to see if they were replicated in an independent sample consisting of 76 women with knee arthritis and 100 healthy women. Two ratios were successfully confirmed in the replication sample.

Search for biomarkers

Dr Guangju Zhai, lead author on the paper published in the journal, Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, said: ‘Osteoarthritis affects an estimated 8.5 million people in the UK and one of its main characteristics is damage to cartilage, the strong smooth muscle that lines the bones and allows joints to move easily and without friction. The search for biomarkers, or traits, which can be used to measure or indicate the effects or progress of a condition is a hugely exciting area of clinical research. The two novel metabolic biomarkers found through our study could indicate increased cartilage breakdown and we now want to study these mechanisms in more detail.’

Professor Tim Spector, senior author of the paper added: ‘Ours is the first study using a metabolomics approach to identify novel metabolic biomarkers for osteoarthritis. We hope that further research will lead to these two metabolite ratios being adopted into clinical practice, enabling doctors to diagnose the condition, or identify that osteoarthritis is developing earlier. Our study also shows the enormous clinical potential of metabolomics, and we hope in future that they could be used to monitor the effectiveness of treatments. At the moment we relay on x-rays and scans – and our dependence on these methods is a major obstacle to the development of new drugs for osteoarthritis.’

Research studies such as this underpin King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre, a pioneering collaboration between King’s College London, and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts which aims to deliver medical breakthroughs to patients at the earliest opportunity.

The study was funded by the European Community Framework 7 large collaborative project grant Treat-OA, The Wellcome Trust, and Arthritis Research Campaign. It also received support from the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London.

Notes to editors

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2009) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has nearly 23,000 students (of whom more than 8,600 are graduate students) from nearly 140 countries, and some 5,500 employees. King’s is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King’s Health Partners. King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world’s leading research-led universities and three of London’s most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit:www.kingshealthpartners.org.

A research team led by the Twin Research Department at King’s with colleagues from Imperial College London, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Brisbane Institute of Medical Research and Leeds has found new genes for melanoma in one of several studies published in Nature Genetics this week.

Melanoma incidence has risen rapidly over the last 30 years so discovering genes which may predict those most at risk of this deadly tumour may prevent increased cases of mortality. It is already known that large numbers of moles (nevi) are the most important risk factor for melanoma (more so than over exposure to sunshine or use of sunbeds).

Professor Tim Spector, Senior author and Director of the Department of Twin Research added. ‘These novel genes regulating moles can lead to a doubling in melanoma risk. The study shows the unique value of the TwinsUK volunteer cohort. Twins have helped us over the last 13 years to find that moles are heritable and then isolating the gene regions and now the actual genes involved.’

The King’s team had previously shown that genes influencing the number of moles (nevi) might overlap with those for melanoma. The recent Genome-Wide Association (GWA) study allowed scientists to examine differences in people’s DNA code at a third of a million sites and through this also uncovered two novel genes for melanoma.

For this project researchers performed a Genome Wide Association study looking at common changes in genes for nevus counts in 1,524 healthy adult female twins from the TwinsUK registry using 300,000 genetic markers known as (SNPs). SNPs in two genes, on chromosome 9 (MTAP) and chromosome 22 (PLA2G6), were significantly associated with higher mole (nevus) counts.

Dr Veronique Bataille, Consultant Dermatologist in charge of the skin research programme at the Twin Research Department at King’s, and first co-author of the study said: ‘These new genes may be useful for screening but will also help in understanding melanoma genetic pathways with possible therapeutic targets.’

These initial results were replicated in an independent sample of 4,107 adolescent twins from Brisbane. These two genes also predict melanoma risk in several thousand cases of melanoma from around the world (the Genomel Melanoma Consortium). The risk of having double copies of both these gene variants increases melanoma risk by up to two fold. The effect appears to be mediated by the increased number of moles (nevi).

Dr Bataille went on to say: ‘Moles are common in all European populations and the chance of any of them changing into a melanoma is very small. However, if you do have many moles, especially large moles, it is recommended that you have them checked.’

Notes to editors

The paper Loci at 9p21 and 22q13 harbour alleles for development of cutaneous nevi and melanoma has been published online in Nature Genetics. To view the paper, please visit: http://www.nature.com/ng/index.html

Professor Tim D Spector is the senior author – Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7188 6765, Email: victoria.vazquez@kcl.ac.uk

Dr Mario Falchi PhD is the first author and currently works at the department of Genomic Medicine, Imperial College London
Email: m.falchi@imperial.ac.uk

Dr Veronique Bataille – Joint first author and Principal Dermatologist on study and melanoma expert.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7188 6765, Email: bataille@doctors.org.uk

The Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London has a database of 11,000 twins and studies a wide variety of diseases and human behavious and traits, leading to several high profile publications. For more information and pdf-copies of other publications please phone: +44 (0)20 7188 6765 or visit the website: www.twinsUK.ac.uk

The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the NHS NIHR. Genotyping was performed by the Sanger Institute.

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King’s is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King’s Health Partners. King’s Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world’s leading research-led universities and three of London’s most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit:www.kingshealthpartners.org.

Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 4334

Genes controlling menopause and menarche have been identified in two studies by UK twin researchers at the Department of Twin Research, King’s College London and published today in Nature Genetics.

Menopause is the time of a woman’s life when menstrual cycle ceases owing to depletion of the follicle pool (eggs) whereas menarche is the time of the start of menstruation. Menarche occurs at a mean age of 13 years, normally about two years after the onset of puberty and Menopause occurs around 50 years of age. Both events are highly heritable and key to fertility and early menopause in particular is an important risk factor for several major age-related diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers- such as breast and ovary.

The two studies published today in Nature Genetics were a collaborative effect of the researchers from King’s College London, Erasmus MC Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and the CHARGE Consortium which consisted of eight cohort studies conducted in the institutes or universities from Europe and the United States.

For menopause, the researchers conducted a two-staged genome-wide association study for age at natural menopause in 2,979 European women and identified six SNPs in three loci associated with age at natural menopause. Women with these genes were likely to have a premature menopause.

For menarche, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data in 17,510 women from eight cohorts. The strongest signal was at chromosome 9q31.2, where the nearest genes include TMEM38B, FKTN, FSD1L, TAL2 and ZNF462. The next best signal was near the LIN28B gene on chromosome 6, which also influences adult height. These genetic variants were associated with an early menarche and the genes were also linked to body weight – which are also triggers for the onset of periods in girls. Genes causing earlier menarche also caused smaller adult height.

Professor Tim Spector, Director of the Department of Twin Research Department and joint senior author of the study says: “these are the first studies to provide evidence for common genetic variants influencing normal variation in the timing of female sexual maturation and of ovarian ageing. These studies give us a better understanding of the function of the genetic variants involved in early menopause and early menarche. Female fertility is a crucial trait for humans and these genes will help with new treatments and prediction for women with early menopause or early puberty”.

Notes to editors

The paper, Loci at chromosomes 13, 19 and 20 influence age at natural menopause will be published online in Nature Genetics on 17 May 2009. To view the paper, please visit:http://www.nature.com/ng/index.html

The paper Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data identifies two loci influencing age at menarche will be published online in Nature Genetics on 17 May 2009. To view the paper, please visit: http://www.nature.com/ng/index.html

The Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology

The Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London has a database of 10,000 twins and studies a wide variety of diseases and traits and has lately expanded their research on human sexuality, leading to several high profile publications. For more information and pdf-copies of other publications please phone: 020 7188 6765 or visit the website: www.twinsUK.ac.uk

Further information
Prof Tim D Spector
Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7188 6765
Email: victoria.vazquez@kcl.ac.uk

Emotional intelligence in women, the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, appears to increase their number of orgasms, suggests a study by the Department of Twin Research and published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

The study suggests that low emotional intelligence is a potential risk factor for female orgasmic dysfunction, which is the second most frequently reported female sexual problem with two in five women stating to never, or finding it difficult to achieve an orgasm.

The investigators carried out this study by recruiting 2035 female volunteers from the TwinsUK registry aged 18-83 years. All completed questionnaires detailing their general sexual behavior and functioning, and a validated questionnaire on emotional intelligence. The research found a significant association between emotional intelligence and the frequency of orgasm during masturbation and intercourse. This led to the conclusion that a high emotional intelligence level contributes to the ability to achieve orgasm more frequently.

These findings are vital in terms of identification of the multiple behavioral risk factors that may be associated with orgasmic disorder and will be vital to improve diagnosis and treatment of female orgasmic dysfunction. Andrea Burri MSc, Psychologist at King’s College London and lead author of the study says, “Emotional intelligence seems to have a direct impact on women’s sexual functioning by influencing her ability to communicate her sexual expectations and desires to her partner.”

Tim Spector, Director of the Twin Research Department and co-author of the study says, “These findings show that emotional intelligence is an advantage in many aspects of your life including the bedroom. This study will help enormously in the development of behavioral and cognitive therapies to improve women sexual lives”

Andrea Burri also adds that, “Our finding that women with high emotional intelligence have significantly more frequent orgasm during masturbation than women with lower emotional intelligence suggests that a woman’s feeling of control, or the capacity to integrate physical stimulation with fantasy, may be contributors to orgasm as well as the better knowledge of women’s own body”.

Notes to editors

The paper, Emotional Intelligence and its Association with Orgasmic Frequency in Women, is published online in The Journal of Sexual Medicine ,and will appear in the July 2009 issue. To view the paper, please visithttp://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122368832/abstract

Full Citation: Burri AV, Cherkas LM, Spector, TD; Emotional Intelligence and Its Association with Orgasmic Frequency in Women; J Sex Med; 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01297.x

The Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology

The Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London has a database of 10,000 twins and studies a wide variety of diseases and traits and has lately expanded their research on human sexuality, leading to several high profile publications. For more information and pdf-copies of other publications please phone: 020 7188 6765 or visit the website: www.twinsUK.ac.uk

Further information
Andrea Burri MSc
Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, UK
Email: andrea.burri@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7188 1505

Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact wbnewseurope@wiley.com

Researchers from King’s College London have coordinated a multicentre study where two genetic variants have been identified which, when present together in the same individual, increase the risk of male pattern baldness (otherwise known as androgenic alopecia) seven fold.

These variants are present in one in seven Caucasian men and provide novel insights into the cause of this common and sometimes distressing condition.

Androgenic alopecia, the common form of hair loss is a highly heritable disorder of considerable social significance affecting around 40% of adult men and women. Both men and women with hair loss experience negative perceptions of body image. Moreover, the mechanisms involved in androgenic alopecia may be shared with several common medical disorders which co-segregate with baldness, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in men and polycystic ovarian syndrome and insulin resistance in women.

Professor Tim Spector, Head of the Department of Twin Research, who led the study at King’s comments: ‘Androgenic alopecia is a highly genetic condition, with heritability estimates of over 80 per cent. Genetic variants in, or in close proximity to, the X chromosome androgen receptor (AR) gene have been previously associated with male pattern baldness. However, since the inheritance pattern of this trait appears to be polygenic, we undertook a two-stage genome-wide association (GWA) study to look for other genes.’

The results were published today in the Journal Nature Genetics and were the result of a collaborative effort led by Dr Brent Richards and Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London and Dr Vincent Mooser and his team, from GlaxoSmithKline, together with colleagues from deCODE genetics, Iceland, CHUV University Hospital in Lausanne Switzerland and Nijmegen The Netherlands and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

A genome-wide association study including 1,125 men assessed for male pattern baldness was performed. The investigators found two genetic regions which substantially increased the risk of this condition. They then tested these findings in an additional 1,650 men and confirmed that the one in seven men who carry the variants in both of these genes have a seven fold increased risk of baldness.

The novel gene region identified is on chromosome 20 and is reasonably distant from any known gene. Further studies are required to understand how this region influences the risk of male pattern baldness. The second gene was the androgen receptor, previously implicated in male pattern baldness. These results were widely applicable to men from Caucasian populations in Switzerland, the UK, Iceland and the Netherlands. There was also a more modest effect in women, although more numbers were needed.

Professor Spector of King’s College London and Director of the TwinsUK cohort stated: ‘The strong genetic basis of hair loss is odd – as any evolutionary advantage is unclear. Clearly most men know if they are bald or not- but early prediction before hair loss starts may lead to some interesting therapies that are more effective than treating late stage hair loss.’

‘In summary, in the first Genome Wide Association study for androgenic alopecia we have provided evidence from four distinct European populations for a novel source which influences a common disorder of social importance. The risk genes at this novel source and the previously described androgen receptor gene are common in Europeans and show a relatively large risk for androgenic alopecia. Given the feasibility of gene therapy in human follicles, our results may point to an intriguing new potential target for the treatment of hair loss in men and possibly women.’

Notes to editors

The study was undertaken in collaboration with:

• Department of Medicine, Jewish General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
• Genetics Division, GlaxoSmithKline, King of Prussia, PA, USA
• deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland
• Department of Internal Medicine, CHUV University Hospital, Lausanne Switzerland
• Comprehensive Cancer Center IKO, and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
• Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Urology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
• Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK

This study was funded in part by GlaxoSmithKline; deCODE Genetics; the Wellcome Trust; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (grant to Guys’ and St Thomas’ Hospitals and King’s College London); the Chronic Disease Research Foundation; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (J.B.R.) and the Sixth Framework Program of the EU contract number 018827 (Polygene).

The unit is always looking for twin volunteers (identical or non-identical) aged over 15 years to participate in research. Look at the website www.twinsUK.ac.uk or phone 0207 188 5555 for details.

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 150 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of approximately £450 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – a total unsurpassed by any other university.

King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are working together to create a world-leading Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC). Our AHSC brings together an unrivalled range and depth of clinical and research expertise, spanning both physical and mental health. Our combined strengths will drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. For more information, visitwww.londonsahsc.org

Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools) King’s College London
Public Relations Department
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334

Scientists led by a team in the Twin Research Unit at King’s College London have investigated 500,000 gene markers in women with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The team believe that an examination of these markers will lead to a better understanding of this debilitating condition.

The genome-wide association study is due to appear this week in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Professor Tim Spector, leader of the research group, and Director of the Twin Research Unit comments: ‘This important paper is the first publication to come out of a multi-centre, Consortium funded by the European Union, called TREAT- OA, coordinated by our group at King’s.

‘The discovery of these variants highlights the importance of inflammatory pathways in the development of osteoarthritis and brings us closer to understanding the genetic basis of this common debilitating condition. This gene is hopefully the first of many we will uncover in the next few years.’

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the elderly people and is the third most common condition causing work disability. Scientists believe that it results from a combination of genetic abnormalities and joint injuries. Osteoarthritis is particularly debilitating in the weight-bearing joints of the knees, and when it reaches a severe stage it can make walking any distance or climbing stairs very difficult.

Genome-wide association studies aim to identify genetic variations among people that can be tied to variations in disease susceptibility, and so find novel genes.

In total over 1500 patients and 2600 controls from the US, the UK and the Netherlands were studied. The genetic variant that was found to be involved in all study populations maps close to the gene encoding for the cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme. This enzyme is the target of several anti-inflammatory drugs already used to treat osteoarthritis and other conditions.

Lead author Dr Ana Valdes, Senior Lecturer at the Twin Research Unit at King’s, adds: ‘By finding genes involved in disease risk or involved in progression we will better understand the molecular pathogenesis of OA and this may open areas for therapeutic intervention.

‘In addition, identifying sets of genetic variants associated with risk of disease or with progression of osteoarthritis, it will be possible to detect individuals at high risk and to better monitor disease progression.’

Notes to editors

The TREAT-OA Consortium

The TREAT-OA Consortium is funded by a large collaborative European Union framework 7 programme. For more info please visit: www.treatOA.eu

The Twin Research Unit

The Twin Research Unit also receives funding from the Wellcome Trust and the Arthritis Research Campaign. The Twin Unit has similar data on thousands of diseases and traits. For more details on the work of the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, please see the website: www.twinsUK.ac.uk

The unit is always looking for twin volunteers (identical or non-identical) aged over 15 years to participate in research. Look at the website or phone 0207 188 5555 for details.

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,300 students from more than 130 countries, and 5,000 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are working together to create the UK’s largest Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC).

The AHSC will bring together the widest range of clinical and research expertise in the UK – strengths that will be used to drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.

For further information visit www.londonsahsc.org

Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department, King’s College London
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334

Research led by a group from King’s has uncovered two genes to aid diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. The research published in the Lancet, scanned for variations in more than 20,000 human genes, uncovering the OPG and LRP5 genes which are crucial in bone density and fracture.

The group undertook a combined Anglo-Dutch study of more than 8500 people and looked at the genes of female twins, comparing the positive results in men and women from Rotterdam, as well as women from Essex.

The two genes that were positively associated with bone density in all samples were the OPG (osteoprotegerin) gene and the LRP5 gene, which both have a crucial role in bone biology and are the target of current treatments in development. Moreover the genes were also related to risk of fracture.

Dr Brent Richards, a member of the Twin Research Unit, and author of the study says: ‘One important feature of the study is that over one in five people carry one of the risk variants of these genes which increase chances of fracture and osteoporosis by more than 30 per cent.’

Osteoporosis affects one in three women and one in six men and costs the UK over £1 billion pounds a year through the effects of fracture. One in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 in the UK will break a bone, mainly because of osteoporosis. Exactly why this happens is still not fully understood. Research continues to build up a picture of the factors that influence our bones.

Drug Development

New osteoporosis drugs are currently in development that will act via these gene mechanisms and it is possible that they will work best in those these risk genotypes. One of these drugs could be on the market within three years.

Fracture has been shown by twin studies to be 50 per cent heritable and its main risk factor is bone density which has also previously been shown to be 80 per cent heritable. Family history of hip fracture is a known risk factor – but this information may not be available in many people whose parents died early.

Professor Tim Spector, Genetic Epidemiologist and Director of the Twin Research Unit at King’s, who led the study comments: ‘This study shows for the first time, that osteoporosis is caused by many common gene variants of modest effect rather than just a few genes.

‘These two genes are likely to be the most important and together can easily be tested and are as useful in risk assessment as many other tests used by clinicians, such as questions about smoking history or the use of steroids. They also show the way for future gene tests as we add more genes.’

Notes to editors

The Twin Unit

The Twin Unit is funded by the Wellcome Trust, the EU, ARC and the CDRF. The Twin Unit has similar data on thousands of diseases and traits. For more details on the work of the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, please see the website:www.twinsUK.ac.uk

The unit is always looking for twin volunteers (identical or non-identical) aged over 15 years to participate in research. Look at the website or phone 0207 188 5555 for details.

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,300 students from more than 130 countries, and 5,000 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

Further information
Public Relations Department, King’s College London
Email: pr@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 3202

A study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine by researchers at King’s College London, has shown that people who exercise more in their free time appear to be biologically younger than their more sedentary counterparts.

Professor Tim Spector and Dr Lynn Cherkas from the Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology Unit at King’s College London, together with Professor Abraham Aviv in New Jersey, looked for evidence of ageing at a molecular level in the population by analysing telomeres, which cap the end of chromosomes in our cells and protect them from damage.

With age, our telomeres shorten, leaving us more susceptible to cell damage, which causes disease. However, there is considerable variation between people, and recent research has already highlighted several lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity that are associated with shorter than average telomeres.

Physical activity has already been shown to have a major impact on health: frequent exercisers display reduced cardiovascular risk and are at lower risk for type 2 diabetes, mellitus, cancer, hypertension, obesity and osteoporosis. However, despite the known benefits of physical activity, inactivity continues to be a major public health problem, increasing the propensity to age-related diseases and death.

This study suggests that a sedentary lifestyle may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to age-related diseases but also because it may influence the ageing process itself.

The investigators recruited 2,401 volunteers from the UK aged 18-81 years onto the study. All completed questionnaires detailing their levels of physical activity during leisure time in the last 12 months, in addition to a wide range of health and lifestyle issues.

The investigators found that telomere length decreased steadily with age and there was a significant association between increasing physical activity and longer telomere length even after adjusting for other measurable influences (body mass index (BMI), smoking, and socioeconomic status (SES).

Dr Cherkas explains: ‘Overall, the difference in telomere length between the most active subjects and the inactive subjects corresponds to around nine years of ageing.’

The study population was comprised of MZ twins (Identical twins) and DZ twins (Fraternal Twins). Comparing the telomere lengths of twins who were raised together but take different amounts of exercise, reduces the effect of genetic and environmental variation and so provides a more powerful test of the hypothesis. This design revealed that on average, the telomeres of the more active twin were significantly longer that those of the less active twin, confirming previous results.

Professor Spector states: ‘Our study, performed on a large cohort, indicates that differences in telomere length between active and inactive individuals cannot be explained by variations in genes, smoking, BMI and SES. A sedentary lifestyle appears to have an effect on telomere dynamics – thus providing a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potentially anti-aging effect of regular exercise.’

Notes to editors

The Twin Research Unit

The Twin Research Unit at King’s College London has a database of 10,000 twins and studies a wide variety of diseases and traits and is always looking for more adult twin volunteers, male or female, identical or non-identical to help with their studies. To volunteer or for more information please phone: 020 7188 5555 or visit the website:http://www.twinsUK.ac.uk

King’s College London

King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 140 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

Further information
Katherine Moore, Public Relations Department
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334

Our diet is largely determined by genetic factors, according to a study from King’s College London. In particular, garlic lovers, coffee drinkers and those who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables are likely to have inherited their tastes from their parents.

This study, the most comprehensive of its kind, has shown conclusively that dietary choices are largely influenced by our genes. Previously, more emphasis has been placed on the social and environmental factors which determine what we eat. This research shows that we may have less choice over what we like to eat than we previously thought. Often we enjoy a similar diet to that of our parents. This study shows that this is likely to be determined by our genes, rather than simply being a result of the environment in which we were brought up.

To examine the contribution of genetic factors to food choice, researchers studied the dietary habits of 3262 UK female twins. By studying twins, researchers were able to study the dietary patterns of identical twins and compare them with non-identical twins. This allowed them to determine the extent to which genes play a part in determining our dietary choices.

Throughout the course of the study, five distinct dietary patterns were identified: ‘fruit and vegetable’, ‘high alcohol’, ‘traditional English’, ‘dieting’ and ‘low meat’. Most people will fall into one of the five categories identified.

Lead researcher Professor Tim Spector, from the Twin Research Unit, at King’s College London, said: ‘This research has revealed some fascinating findings. For so long we have assumed that our up-bringing and social environment determine what we like to eat. This has blown that theory out of the water, more often than not, our genetic makeup influences our dietary patterns.’

The study is also vital in terms of illness and disease. It has been long-recognised that certain illnesses and diseases are linked to diet. Heart disease, for example, is strongly associated with a diet high in saturated fats. By establishing why we eat what we eat, this study goes some way towards determining the causes of some illnesses.

Another key issue is that campaigns aimed at promoting healthy eating, such as the Government’s ‘5 a day’ campaign, may need to be re-thought in light of these new findings. If diet is less about choice, and more about genetics, such campaigns may have less of an affect than is intended.

Notes to editors

The paper Dietary patterns and heritability of food choice in a UK female twin cohort was published in the October issue of Twin Research and Human Genetics, issue 10.5. This issue is now available online, at: http://www.atypon-link.com/AAP/loi/twin

The five dietary patterns identified in the study are:

• Fruit and vegetable: frequent intakes of fruit, allium (onions, leeks, shallots, garlic) and cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, cabbage vegetables; low intakes of fried potatoes.
• High alcohol: frequent intakes of beer, wine and allium vegetables; low intakes of high fibre breakfast cereals and fruit.
• Traditional English: frequent intakes of fried fish and potatoes, meats, savoury pies and cruciferous vegetables.
• Dieting: frequent intakes of low-fat dairy products, low sugar soda; low intake of butter and sweet baked products.
• Low meat: frequent intakes of baked beans, pizza and soy foods; low intakes of meat, fish and seafood, and poultry.

The Twin Research Unit

The Twin Research Unit at King’s College London has a database of 10,000 twins and studies a wide variety of diseases and traits and is always looking for more adult twin volunteers, male or female, identical or non-identical to help with their studies. To volunteer or for more information please phone: 020 7188 5555 or visit the website:http://www.twinsUK.ac.uk

King’s College London

King’s College London is the fourth oldest university in England with more than 13,700 undergraduates and 6,200 graduate students in nine schools of study based at five London campuses. It is a member of the Russell Group: a coalition of the UK’s major research-based universities. The College has had 24 of its subject-areas awarded the highest rating of 5* and 5 for research quality, demonstrating excellence at an international level, and it has recently received an excellent result in its audit by the Quality Assurance Agency.

King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, international relations, medicine, dentistry, nursing and the sciences, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.

King’s is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings, with income from grants and contracts of £114 million and an annual income of £369 million.

Further information
Public Relations Department
Email: pr@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 3202