March 4, 2016

Joint Degeneration & Repair

45619-Joint degeneration and repair

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the joints, characterized by degradation and calcification of articular cartilage, and subchondral bone changes. Because articular cartilage does not regenerate, understanding how joints develop may provide new insight and novel therapies for OA. Our current data suggests that Wnt, Hh, sterols and other signaling pathways involved in normal joint development may also be involved in the development and progression of OA. Therefore, we aim to elucidate how modulating these pathways can attenuate OA pathology and enhance joint repair. Team Members (Left to Right): Henry Ma, Amanda Ali, Heather Whetstone and Peter Kannu.