A team of local scientists says it has pinpointed the cause of degenerative arthritis.

The team, led by Professor Chun Jang-soo of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, said Monday that it discovered that a gene called “HIF-2a” causes degeneration in cartilage cells.

The recent discovery is expected to lead to the development of treatments for arthritis and ways to prevent the disease.

Degenerative arthritis is a disease where joints deteriorate due to old age, injury to the joints or obesity. Eight out of ten Koreans over 65 suffer from the disease.

The international biomedical research journal Nature Medicine published the team’s study in Monday's online edition.