|
The leading role in osteoarthritis research is played by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIAMS funds many researchers across the United States to study osteoarthritis. It has established a Specialized Center of Research devoted to osteoarthritis. Also, a large number of researchers study arthritis at the NIAMS Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disease Centers. These centers conduct basic, laboratory, and clinical research aimed at understanding the causes, treatment options, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal diseases. Center researchers also study professional, patient, and public education; epidemiology; and health services.
For years, scientists thought that osteoarthritis was simply a disease of "wear and tear" that occurred in joints as people got older. In the last decade, however, research has shown that there is more to the disorder than aging alone. The production, maintenance, and breakdown of cartilage, as well as bone changes in osteoarthritis, are now seen as a series or "cascade" of events. Many researchers are trying to discover where in that cascade of events things go wrong. By understanding what goes wrong, they hope to find new ways to prevent or treat osteoarthritis. Some key areas of research are described below.
Animal Models: Animals help researchers understand how diseases work and why they occur. In osteoarthritis, animal models help researchers learn many things about osteoarthritis. They help reveal what happens to cartilage, how treatment strategies might work, and what might prevent the disease. Animal models also help scientists study osteoarthritis in very early stages, before it causes joint damage.
Diagnostic Tools: Some scientists want to find ways to detect osteoarthritis at earlier stages so that they can treat it earlier. They seek specific abnormalities in the blood, joint fluid, or urine of people with the disease. Other scientists use new technologies to analyze differences in cartilage from different joints. For example, many people have osteoarthritis in the knees or hips, but few have it in their ankles. Can ankle cartilage be different? Does it age differently? Answering these questions will help us understand the disease better.
Genetic Studies: Researchers suspect that inheritance plays a role in 25 to 30 percent of osteoarthritis cases. Scientists have identified a mutation (a gene defect) affecting collagen, an important part of cartilage in patients with an inherited kind of osteoarthritis that starts at an early age. The mutation weakens collagen protein, which may break or tear more easily under stress. Scientists are looking for other mutations in osteoarthritis. In the future, a test to determine who carries the genetic defect (or defects) could help people reduce their risk for osteoarthritis with lifestyle adjustments.
More Current Research 
back to Osteoarthritis: The Fundamentals
Excerpted from Handout on Health: Osteoarthritis, a publication of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. The NIAMS, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leads the Federal medical research effort in arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases. The NIAMS supports research and research training throughout the United States as well as on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, and disseminates health and research information. The National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NAMSIC) is a public service sponsored by the NIAMS that provides health information and information sources. Additional information and research updates can be found on the NIAMS Web site at http://www.nih.gov/niams/.
|
