SENP6 has been shown to control SUMO regulation by deconjugating the proteins from their targets [18], and the emerging evidence of a role of sumoylation in arthritis [19] may make it reasonable to hypothesise that a decrease in SENP6 expression could lead to altered downstream protein regulation and thus be implicated in OA aetiology. The gene discussed is SENP6; the disease is arthritic joint disease.