CIHR's Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis

On Your Mark

New method for predicting rate of osteoarthritis progression

MRI image of knee joint with osteoarthritis

Finding
Imagine trying to fly a plane with no navigation controls. It's a bit like trying to treat a painful condition that affects one in ten Canadians with no clue when the disease will suddenly take a turn for the worse. A research team from Montreal has found a new and accurate way of tracking the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), a disease that inflames joints and dramatically decreases mobility. Research determined that biomarkers found in the blood can predict the severity of osteoarthritis progression by measuring collagen degradation.

Impact
The ability to accurately predict the progression of OA will help improve decision-making about optimal drug dosages and about the effectiveness of therapy, for example, when it is no longer effective. Better prediction can also help speed up clinical trials of new treatments for OA. 

Team
Dr. Robin Poole of McGill University led the research team responsible for the discovery.

Funding Partners
CIHR, Canadian Arthritis Network, U.S. National Institutes of Health