Investigating the mechanisms underlying osteoarthritis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the mechanisms underlying osteoarthritis: The responses of joint tissues in health and disease.
IRAS ID
201506
Contact name
Fiona Watt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the commonest form of arthritis. Treatment of early disease is challenging as there are no good tests for early diagnosis, and therefore no accepted medical treatments to slow or prevent disease. In our laboratory we aim to understand basic processes in cell and tissues in health and disease, with the aim of ultimately improving the treatments for the condition.
The University Department Of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) receive, via Human Tissue Authority (HTA) licence, donations of consenting individuals' bodies for the purpose of teaching and research within the University. Normal tissue samples from living donors are scarce. Accessing post mortem tissue from DPAG donors would provide us with a valuable source of tissue for research purposes. We wish to access tissues from knee and hand joints from those without osteoarthritis and those with the disease.
The tissues we wish to collect are: A) Articular cartilage: This is dissected from the surface of the joint and used in experiments as intact tissue ("cartilage explants") or digested to extract cells ("chondrocyte culture"). In both cases single samples can be used in several experiments. Sometimes thin samples ("histological sections") are prepared and examined by microscope. B) Synovium and other soft joint connective tissues: Synovium can be used as intact tissue, or digested and extracted to produce cells. C) Synovial fluid: It is spun fast to remove cells and the fluid component used for the measurement of biochemical markers. D) Bone: This might be sampled as small biopsies (<3cm), be dissected to make cells, or examined by microscope.
We have four defined programmes of research, detailed below.
All tissues will be used in experiments then immediately destroyed, or stored for up to 5 years, or an application will be made to adopt the tissue to a biobank or other ethically approved projects.REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1351
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion