FAMILIES in Oxfordshire are being recruited to help scientists track down the genes linked to the bone disease osteoporosis.

Oxfordshire gene research company Oxagen is to co-operate closely with six leading European bone research groups in a bid to spot the genes associated with osteoporosis.

Under the deal some Oxfordshire families with a known history of severe osteoporosis, along with others from the other centres, will be recruited to help researchers.

Oxagen, based at Milton Park, near Abingdon, will then compile DNA databases of complete genome scans on samples from 800 such families.

Oxagen, founded in 1997 to realise the commercial potential of genetic research at Oxford University, says that the agreement with Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford; University College, London; the universities of Aberdeen, Cambridge, Southampton, and Rotterdam reflects a spirit of partnership in research.

The agreements, scheduled to last five years, ensure that a share of payments from any pharmaceutical partner using the data to develop new drugs will be ploughed back into disease research at the centres.

Oxagen chief executive Trevor Nicholls said: "When Oxagen was founded, our aim was to bring together research centres of this calibre in order to combine our expertise in genetic analysis with their understanding of complex human disease."

Oxagen has raised a total of £10.5m equity from the Wellcome Trust, Oxford University, Advent, 3i, and private investors.

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