Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common orthopedic condition affecting humans and animals. it is the second most prevalent medical condition affecting humans in the United States, and its total economical cost exceeds 50 billion dollars a year. Our laboratory's current efforts are focused on several aspects of osteoarthritis research. One of our interests is the adaptive response of cartilage and subchondral (under the cartilage) bone to osteoarthritis. A better understanding of how joint tissues respond to osteoarthritis may lead to novel therapies in its treatment. We are also interested in understanding the early cellular and molecular changes that are involved in the mechanisms of disease installation and progression. A network of active cell-to-cell communication as well as intra and extracellular micro environmental changes occur and feedback on each other in a vicious cycle that culminates with a severely crippling disease. We are currently searching for reliable detection of markers of disease at different (including very early) disease stages. This reasearch line may contribute to early diagnosis and new therapy approaches.