Identifying knee osteoarthritis risk genes through genetics and cartilage biology
Official title: Identifying novel osteoarthritis risk genes using GWAS, chondrocyte genomics, and genome editing
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11399912 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying knee OA to find the genetic factors and how they affect cartilage, with the goal of guiding future treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $474,204 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR079538-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11399912 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for knee OA who may benefit from advances in genetic and cellular understanding of the disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not directly impacted by knee OA or those without involvement in genetic studies may see indirect benefits but are less likely to be primary beneficiaries.
What this research studies
This project looks at how non-coding genetic changes contribute to knee osteoarthritis and uses cartilage cells to understand how these changes influence the disease. It combines genome-wide association data with maps of regulatory regions and gene targets, aiming to connect genetic variants to specific genes. The work includes an ex vivo chondrocyte model to measure how risk variants impact cartilage cell behavior, with three integrated aims to identify regulatory regions, map variants to genes, and quantify phenotypic effects. If successful, the findings could reveal new biological pathways and targets for therapies beyond symptom management and joint replacement.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to new, more effective treatments that target the genetic and cellular drivers of knee OA.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies have linked genetic variants to OA risk, and this approach builds on that work with a more direct link to regulatory elements and cartilage cell behavior.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Phanstiel, Douglas H. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Phanstiel, Douglas H.
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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.