We have used a mouse knockout model to demonstrate directly that DEK facilitates development of inflammatory arthritis in vivo. Using the ZIA mouse model17, we found that Dek-KO mice are significantly less likely than WT mice to develop arthritis, and single-stranded anti-DEK DNA aptamers markedly attenuate inflammation in WT mice subjected to ZIA. The gene discussed is DEK; the disease is arthritic joint disease.