Study reveals 2 genes linked to disabling arthritis

An international team of researchers led by a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center geneticist has discovered two genes linked to a disabling form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, a painful and progressive disease in which some or all of the spine’s vertebrae fuse together. The researchers also validated the association of two genes implicated in Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that causes overactivity of the thyroid gland.