Viral-like DNA elements and joint aging in osteoarthritis
Official title: Endogenous retrovirus in joint aging and osteoarthritis development
Funded at Van Andel Research Institute · NIH-11323109 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether viral-like DNA inside joint cells causes those cells to age and contribute to osteoarthritis in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Van Andel Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Grand Rapids, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $585,279 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG083568-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323109 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with knee or hip osteoarthritis, particularly those undergoing joint replacement who can donate tissue samples, would be ideal candidates to contribute to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without osteoarthritis or whose joint damage is driven solely by mechanical injury rather than age-related cellular changes may not see direct benefit from these findings in the short term.
What this research studies
They will compare joint cartilage and cells from adults with and without osteoarthritis to see how DNA packaging in the cell nucleus changes with age and stress. Using methods like ATAC-seq to map open chromatin and searching for activation of transposable elements (viral-like DNA), researchers will link these changes to inflammation, cell death, and cartilage breakdown. Laboratory models will mimic age-related stresses to test whether loss of silencing of these elements harms articular chondrocytes. The goal is to define molecular steps that could be targeted to prevent or slow osteoarthritis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or slow cartilage damage by targeting chromatin changes or transposable-element activation.
How similar studies have gone: Chromatin-mapping and transposable-element studies have clarified aging mechanisms in other tissues, but applying these approaches to osteoarthritis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Van Andel Research Institute
Grand Rapids, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Tao — Van Andel Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Yang, Tao
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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.