Modelling the progression of osteoarthritis via alterations to synovial fluid mechanobiology and microbiome

滑液是关节的润滑剂和减震剂，也是无血管关节软骨的营养物质来源。骨关节炎(OA)是一种退行性疾病，会导致关节不可逆转的损害。骨性关节炎是世界范围内最常见的关节疾病，它会导致剧烈疼痛和关节功能丧失。大多数与骨性关节炎相关的研究都集中在随着时间的推移而磨损的软骨，然而，已有研究表明，在骨性关节炎的进展过程中，SF会同时发生多种变化，其中，其化学成分和润滑特性会发生显著的变化。此外，尽管在正常生理条件下，人们预计滑膜空间是无菌的，但最近的研究报告称，在OA患者和更令人惊讶的健康对照受试者的SF中都存在微生物或微生物衍生的遗传物质。本项目的目的是实时监测关节炎进展过程中滑膜微生物群的变化。该项目不仅将有助于阐明复杂液体的微生物组组成、炎症水平和粘度之间的关系，而且还将揭示潜在的新标记，以跟踪具有多种应用的液体变化，特别是在实时监测OA和开发适当的原位(药物输送)治疗方面。

Synovial fluid (SF) is our articular joint lubricant and shock absorber as well as the source of nutrients for avascular articular cartilage. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that leads to irreversible damage of the joint. OA is the most common joint disease worldwide and it leads to severe pain and loss of joint function. Most OA-related research focuses on cartilage that wears down over time, however, it has been shown that multiple alterations of SF occur concomitantly during OA progression, among which significant variations in its chemical composition and lubricating properties. Additionally, although under normal physiological conditions, one expects the synovial space to be sterile, recent studies report the presence of micro-organisms, or microorganism-derived genetic material in the SF of both OA patients and more surprisingly healthy control subjects. The purpose of this project is to monitor SF microbiome alterations in situ (synovial pocket) and in real-time during OA progression. This project will not only help elucidate the relationship between microbiome composition, levels of inflammation, and viscosity of complex fluids but it will also reveal potential novel markers to track fluid alterations with multiple applications, especially for real-time OA monitoring and development of appropriate in-situ (drug delivery) treatment.