This story started with a dozen male research mice survivors from hurricane Sandy in 2012. The storm devastated Dr. Bruce Cronstein’s research lab, but born from the destruction was Dr. Cronstein’s 5-year Arthritis Foundation Investigator-funded project, “The Role of Adenosine Receptors in Osteoarthritis.”
If you haveosteoporosisyou’ve probably heard of, and may have been treated with, a class of drugs that are used to prevent and treat bone loss:bisphosphonates. Dr. Tuhina Neogi and her research team are using new methods to look at how the long-term effects of using these drugs may be related to the progression of kneeosteoarthritis(OA).
Dr. Neogi’s 2-year Arthritis Foundation-funded project, “Bisphosphonate Effects in Knee Osteoarthritis,” is looking at the relationship of bisphosphonate treatment and the structural changes in the knee associated with OA progression. To do this, Dr. Neogi and her team are looking at how knee joint space width, three-dimensional (3D) bone shape, and bone marrow lesions change in OA patients over time. Continue readingResearchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Tuhina Neogi→
What do skin and cartilage have in common? It depends on who you ask. Dr. Veronique Lefebvre, a researcher at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, is currently working on a 2016 foundation-funded project called “Quality-by-Design approach to create articular cartilage from pluripotency” that connects the dots between skin and cartilage. Dr. Lefebvre and her team are developing a protocol that starts with skin cells and ends with knee cartilage. Continue readingResearchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Veronique Lefebvre→
Close to 200 patients, FDA staff, industry leaders, members of the media and academic personnel listened or participated in the groundbreaking Osteoarthritis Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting on March 8. The meeting was a forum for OA patients to share their experiences with the disease and talk about the signs and symptoms that matter most to them. Continue readingHighlights from 2017 Osteoarthritis Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting→
Research on bacteria that live within our bodies has progressed in recent years and is gaining respect in the scientific community. Most of these bacteria live in our gut, and scientists think they shape our health in a number of ways – some good and some bad. Dr. Virginia Kraus is currently researching bacteria in her 2-year Arthritis Foundation-funded project, “The Role of Low-Grade Endotoxemia in Osteoarthritis.” Her project looks at one molecule made by harmful bacteria. Continue readingResearchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Virginia Kraus→
The third part of our researcher spotlight series is with Dr. Markus Wimmer, Associate Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics and Director of Human Motion Analysis and Tribology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Dr. Wimmer is one of 11 researchers to receive funding in early 2016 for his innovative research project, which uses mobile technology to show how a non-invasive treatment can improve health outcomes for people with osteoarthritis (OA). Dr. Wimmer’s 2 year research project is called “Augmented Feedback Using Pressure Detecting Insoles to Reduce Knee Loading”. The purpose of his research is to look at the use of a pressure based insole to train the OA patient to walk in a way that will reduce pressure in the knees. Reducing knee joint pressure loads may help reduce pain and disease progression. Continue readingResearchers on the Path to a Cure – Spotlight on Dr. Markus Wimmer→
The recent findings of a huge study may erase some concerns about a pain reliever that has long been saddled with a worrisome reputation: celecoxib (Celebrex). While all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) carry a warning that users have anincreased risk for heart attacks and strokes, celecoxib is closely linked to two similar drugs that were taken off the market due to concerns about their cardiovascular safety. However, the new research suggests that celecoxib may not be more dangerous than other NSAIDs, and might even be safer in some important ways.Continue readingCelecoxib: Not So Hard on the Heart?→
