Chondrocyte Hypertrophy In Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,018.00
Summary
Whereas chondrocyte hypertrophy is a normal feature of skeletal growth, in adult chondrocytes it is associated with osteoarthritis (OA). We propose that collagen II fragments provide signals for hypertrophy in cartilage. The lack of collagen II fragments in our collagenase-resistant mouse provides a unique opportunity to address the role of collagen II fragments in driving cellular hypertrophy. We will identify bioactive collagen II fragments that represent novel targets for OA therapies
Orthopaedic medicine utilises precise control of critical aspects of the bone healing response. This proposal looks at a novel, and powerful neural-based method for controlling these processes. This will be done by modulating the activity of the neuropeptide Y1 receptor, recently identified on osteoblastic cells and capable of powerful, inverse regulation of bone formation activity. Harnessing these effects will provide a critical tool for existing surgical practice.