READERS may have seen the recent exciting news of research at St Thomas's, funded with a £125,000 grant from the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council, which has established that genetic factors play a vital part in the development of osteoarthritis.

This finding will eventually lead to new ways of diagnosing and treating the disease and of finding its cause.

However, the next stage for this exciting research is to identify the gene or genes involved. If we could do this, we really would be making a huge advance against this widespread type of arthritis.

To achieve this, we need to find 5,000 sets of non-identical, same-sex twins from all over the country who would like to help with this research. They need to be aged between 18 and 70 and do not necessarily have to have osteoarthritis.

If you are a twin and fit into the above category and would like to take part, or find out more about what is involved, please ring me, Sister Juliet Baker, on any of these numbers - 0171 922 8173 or 0171 922 8148 or 0171 922 8149.

SISTER JULIET BAKER, Rheumatology Department, St Thomas's Hospital, London E1.

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