Joint Pain and Inflammation in Osteoarthritis

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Inflammation and joint pain: Identifying novel regulators of inflammation which mediate joint pain

• IRAS ID

  228205

• Contact name

  Simon W Jones

• Contact email

  s.w.jones@bham.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Birmingham

• Duration of Study in the UK

  3 years, 0 months, 0 days

• Research summary

  Background
  Recent studies have found that pain in patients with knee OA is associated with inflammation within particular areas of the joint lining, known as the synovial tissue. Therefore,identifying the key regulatory molecules that mediate this local inflammation of the joint lining may lead to the development of new drugs that alleviate pain for patients with knee OA.
  Critically, we recently identified new gene regulatory molecules called “lncRNAs” that we have found regulate inflammation in synovial tissue from patients with OA. We believe that these lncRNA molecules are key modulators of inflammatory pain in the joints of patients with knee OA, and ultimately that by modulating their function we will be able to alleviate OA pain.

  Aim of the study
  The aim of this study is to determine whether specific “synovitis-associated lncRNAs” are localised to areas of synovial tissue associated with OA pain, whether these lncRNAs are associated with greater pain intensity, and whether modulating their activity mitigates the production of pain mediators and alleviates pain.
  
  Study design
  For this study we will recruit a total of 82 patients between the ages of 35 and 85. There will be two cohorts of patients. The first cohort will be n=41 patients with early knee OA and are undergoing knee arthroscopy (with documented early degenerative changes found on MRI). The second cohort will be n=41 patients with end-stage knee OA and are undergoing total knee replacement.
  We will compare the groups for the following outcome measures: Height and weight, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure (physical assessment); Joint Inflammation (blood test, MRI); Joint damage (routine x-ray, MRI); Role and function of lncRNAs(joint tissue analysis); Joint pain assessment (Questionnaires and patient reported knee pain maps).
  Outcome
  We will determine the role of lncRNAs in controlling inflammation and joint pain in patients with knee OA.

• REC name

  South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/SC/0456

• Date of REC Opinion

  28 Sep 2017

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion