Despite the large prevalence of osteoarthritis, there is no clinically approved drug which provides a cure. Currently, drugs focus on relieving symptoms such as pain. Experiments done in the laboratory have provided insight on osteoarthritis onset and progression and will likely guide therapeutic development.

We know that osteoarthritis is a disease of the whole organ meaning that any of the tissues involved in the synovial joint can be affected. The interplay between the various cell types involved is complex and understanding the interactions between cartilage, bone and synovium may be critical to therapeutic development.

Skeletal development likely plays a very important role in predisposition to disease. Through the identification of serious pathologies such as various forms of dwarfism (what in medical terms are called chondrodysplasias) the role of transcription factors and epigenetics is increasing our understanding of disease genesis.The study of the epigenetics of OA - the mechanism by which the human genome alters it’s gene expression (without changing the primary DNA sequence) has provided valuable information on novel risk factors for the disease and are potential therapeutic targets for OA.

On today's show, Dr Frank Beier joins us to discuss the recent advances in osteoarthritis understanding with a particular emphasis on novel targets and epigenetics.

Frank Beier is the Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Research at the University of Western Ontario and a member of Western’s Bone and Joint Institute. He is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. His lab explores mechanisms controlling cartilage and joint biology, using genetically engineered mice in combination with surgical, dietary and activity manipulations. This is a natural fit with the objectives of the Bone and Joint Institute, an environment that has helped to foster collaborations with fellow researchers from other fields such as clinicians (surgeons, rheumatologists) and imaging scientists. As an engaged member of the Institute’s Operations Committee, Dr. Beier sees value in Institute priorities that improve his training program and that support the acquisition of additional research funds. Dr. Beier has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and gave 100 invited presentations. His work is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (from which he won a foundation award in the inaugural competition in 2015) and The Arthritis Society. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International and several editorial boards, including the Deputy Editor for Osteoarthritis & Cartilage. He was the Chair of the 2017 Cartilage Gordon Conference and won the OARSI Basic Science award in 2019.

RESOURCES

Journal articles

• Nuclear receptors as potential drug targets in osteoarthritis
• Interplay between genetics and epigenetics in osteoarthritis
• Recent developments in emerging therapeutic targets of osteoarthritis

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• Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg
• Email: hello@jointaction.info
• Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast

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