Cecilia Aulin

BIOFUNC
A prospective, longitudinal clinical and molecular study with the aim to find
key drivers of osteoarthritis (OA) disease progression, with subsequent
preclinical development of disease modifying therapies.
Individuals with OA constitutes a heterogeneous population. However, pain and
impaired joint function are common denominators for most patients. OA is
chronic, and currently no cure exists. In order to identify the molecules
active in disease inititation and progression, there is a need to identify
how OA is developed over time, which mechanisms are active during disease
progression and how we could identify and quantify these factors clinically.
Knowing this, we could develop efficient strategies to prevent or treat OA.
The BIOFUNC project aim to characterize OA patients based on molecular
profile (biomarkers), biomechanical joint function and patient reported
symptoms (PROMs). Specifically, we aim to
1) find OA-specific biomarkers that associate with the clinical
presentations, in particular pain and joint function
2) identify patients displaying rapid progression based on biomarkers, joint
function and PROMs to be able to implement earlier treatments and better
follow-up to slow down the disease
3) explore OA-specific molecules that could be potential therapeutic targets
and could be evaluated in animal models and developed towards new
disease-modifying treatments.
Pre-clinical studies of inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis –