Blood immune-cell DNA markers for knee osteoarthritis
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell epigenetic associations in and biomarkers for knee osteoarthritis development and progression
This project looks for changes in DNA markers in blood immune cells that could help detect or monitor knee osteoarthritis in people at risk or with early disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11245462 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would give a blood sample so researchers can map chemical changes to DNA (methylation and hydroxymethylation) across people with different stages of knee OA. They will also use single-cell methods that measure gene activity and chromatin openness (paired single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq) to see which specific immune cell types show those changes. The team will combine these high-resolution data to build blood-based models of immune cell composition and test whether these DNA markers predict who develops or worsens knee OA. The project uses both new blood samples and previously collected samples from OA patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with early knee pain or early radiographic knee osteoarthritis, or individuals at higher risk of developing knee OA who can give blood samples.
Not a fit: People without knee problems or those with end-stage knee OA already needing joint replacement are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this biomarker research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a blood test that flags people likely to develop or rapidly worsen knee osteoarthritis so they can get earlier monitoring or treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work, including from this team, has shown promise for blood DNA methylation signals in OA, but using paired single-cell ATAC-seq and RNA-seq to create high-resolution blood biomarkers is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Oklahoma City, United States
- Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation — Oklahoma City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jeffries, Matlock — Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
- Study coordinator: Jeffries, Matlock
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.