Professor Buckley receives CMSR Pilot Grant

Professor Mark Buckley has received pilot funding from the University of Rochester Center for Musculoskeletal Research (CMSR) for his project titled, "The influence of chondrocyte mechano-protective adaptation on the progression of osteoarthritis."

Project Description: Osteoarthritis (OA) – a painful and complex joint disease characterized by progressive degeneration of articular cartilage and surrounding tissues – is among the leading causes of disability in the United States. Yet, there are no FDA-approved treatments proven to stop or reverse OA and preserve joint health, suggesting that novel targets for OA interventions are needed. In preliminary studies, we have found that cartilage cells (chondrocytes) have an inherent ability to adapt to the sustained mechanical forces that they experience during running and other activities. We refer to this phenomenon as cytoprotective adaptation to mechanicsl stimuli (CAMS). Since cell death and abnormal cell activity in response to mechanical forces are thought to play a role in the development of OA, enhancing CAMS may help to slow or prevent OA. As a first step towards our long term goal of developing translatable therapies that protect cartilage from degeneration through stimulation or enhancement of CAMS, we seek in this project to use a mouse model to determine how CAMS influences long-term degenerative changes in the knee after an in vivo injury.