Centre for Integrated research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA) Renewal

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OverviewThe MRC-Arthritis Research UK Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA) is a unique team. CIMA brings in a mix of skills from three major U.K. Universities: Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield. It helps doctors and lab scientists to work together to grasp: 1) How our muscles, bones and joints change as we age. 2) How this makes some people prone to problems with these tissues such as arthritis and osteoporosis. 3) What each person can do to reduce the risk of developing these problems. Progress So FarCIMA was first funded for 5 years in 2012. CIMA has made great progress in figuring out some key processes in muscles, bones and joints as we age. As well as working out what might reduce the risk of developing these problems, we have also done trials of some likely nutritional agents. These might reduce age-related decline in muscles, bones and joints. We have obtained some early evidence that raising vitamin D may help reduce age-related decline, but putting up nitrate intake may not help. A big limit to expanding research in this important area has also been a lack of well-trained researchers and doctors. So the Centre has also developed and run good training courses to meet this need.Future: Targets, Treatments & TrainingThis bid is for 5 more years of funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Arthritis Research UK to help build on this work. Our first phase of funding has let the CIMA members spot certain changes to cells- called epigenetic changes. These seem vital in influencing whether muscles, bones and joint tissues decline quickly or slowly as we age. We plan to do a linked research programme across Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield. This will seek to work out the importance of these changes and whether we can modify the changes to reduce the risk of getting muscle, bone and joint problems. We will also work together to look more closely at whether nutrition and exercise can prevent or reduce the risk of these problems. We also plan to expand our training programme so more basic scientists and doctors can do excellent research into these problems. Key results will be shared in papers and meetings. More funding bids will be made to do this work.Patient ViewPeople with arthritis have helped to shape this bid. By joining a series of "Arthritis Matters" Public Engagement events, for example. These have helped the public grasp CIMA's research and shape future priorities. Above all this includes a grasp of new arthritis treatments and how study findings can benefit patients. We also asked a group of 15 patients to advise on the final lay summary. We think talking to patients often about research and listening to their views makes for better research.Better EngagementGoing forward, patients and the public will continue to be actively involved by providing insight and valued feedback in many ways. Face to face meetings will remain a key part. And more events will be used, including local, national and global schemes. There will be new work with schools, to share CIMA's work, inspire new ideas and nurture talent. The VOICE North digital platform will support this across the Centre and more widely. The CIMA website will also be kept up to date and advances shared on Twitter. We know most older people don't use these yet, but that could change quickly as access gets easier and cheaper. We expect young people to help make solutions for this. We will also increase our work with drug companies, local authorities and the NHS. This will allow us to develop ways to make sure our findings are quickly put into practice to benefit older people. Arthritis is also one of a key number of conditions included in the NIHR James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership on Ageing and Multiple conditions, led by Newcastle University. This will provide more chances for patients who have arthritis to be involved and link to CIMA.