A NANOPARTICLE-BASED PLATFORM TO DELINEATE BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS OF CATABOLIC DEGRADATION IN OSTEOARTHRITIS

Other conference contribution, 2024

To develop tailored treatment options for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) there is a critical need to enhance our understanding of biochemical processes underlying cartilage degradation. Addressing this challenge requires innovative model systems capable of dissecting the intricate, zone-specific pathogenic mechanisms of cartilage breakdown. We have engineered a novel platform using fluorescently labeled nanoparticles (NPs) designed to either interact with the extracellular matrix (ECM) due to electrostatic forces or selectively bind components of the ECM within porcine cartilage biopsies. When used in conjunction with catalytic enzymes such as hyaluronidase and collagenase, these NPs enable the visualization of cartilage penetrating NP transport in a spatiotemporally resolved manner.