Professor Paul Bowness tells us about his work on spondyloarthritis. Professor Paul Bowness works on Ankylosing Spondylitis, the commonest form of spondyloarthritis. This rheumatic disease is caused by an overacting immune system. It has a major genetic component: at least five to ten genes are known to contribute the disease, with HLA-B27 being by far the most important. Professor Bowness is investigating interactions between these genes and the immune system, for both healthy people and patients with arthritis, to better understand Ankylosing Spondylitis and how to manage it.