Adipokines in Osteoarthritis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of adipose-secreted cytokines in mediating pathological remodelling in the osteoarthritic joint:- An exploratory study.
IRAS ID
125653
Contact name
Simon W Jones
Contact email
Research summary
In order to develop therapeutics in osteoarthritis (OA) it is important to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease and the molecular signalling pathways that underpin it.
Importantly, there is increasing evidence of a link between dysfunctional metabolism and inflammatory joint disease. It is well known that Obesity is a risk factor for OA, but the relationship may not simply be due to increased load on the joint, since body mass index is also associated with the development of OA in non–weight-bearing joints such as the hands. This is suggestive of a potential link between dysfunctional metabolism and joint damage.
One group of proteins that may provide a link between metabolism and joint damage are the adipose-secreted cytokines (adipokines).
We recently showed that serum levels of particular adipokines are associated with biomarkers of bone remodelling and cartilage volume loss in knee OA patients. However, the pathological signalling pathways mediated by adipokines in the joints of OA patients remains unclear.
This research will further our understanding of the role of adipokines in OA by investigating the molecular mechanisms by which the adipokines impact on OA cartilage and bone remodelling in order to identify key targets for potential therapeutic intervention.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NE/0222
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion