CIMA: The Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing

目标这项提案将汇集来自英国三所顶尖大学的研究人员建立一个卓越中心，该中心将进行世界领先的研究，以了解为什么我们的骨骼、关节和肌肉随着年龄的增长而功能下降，以及为什么老年人会患上临床上的骨骼、关节和肌肉疾病，如关节炎或骨质疏松症。该中心还将研究防止骨骼、肌肉和关节随着年龄增长而恶化的新方法，以帮助老年人保持活动能力和独立性。临床优势了解为什么我们的骨骼、关节和肌肉功能随着年龄的增长而变得更差，这对于改进防止老年人肌肉骨骼功能下降的方法至关重要，并有助于了解为什么老年人会患上骨质疏松症或关节炎等疾病。我们的工作旨在开发防止骨骼、关节和肌肉因衰老而发生变化的方法，这些方法将是可接受的、具有成本效益的和可持续的，每个人都可以从中受益。这将导致老年人生活质量的重大改善，伴随着活动能力的增加，独立生活的更多机会，以及发生临床骨骼和关节疾病的风险降低。问题：这项申请将汇集来自利物浦大学、纽卡斯尔大学和谢菲尔德大学的杰出研究人员，对整个肌肉骨骼系统进行创新和综合研究。这些小组以前曾研究过单个组织，但将在这个创新中心联合起来寻找一些重要问题的答案：1.关节、骨骼、肌腱、韧带和肌肉功能随年龄增长而恶化的共同机制是什么？2.评估关节、骨骼、肌腱结构和功能变化的最佳方法是什么？衰老过程中的韧带和肌肉？我们如何开发一种综合的方法来评估整个肌肉骨骼系统的功能？3.评估一种治疗是否可以防止整个肌肉骨骼系统在衰老过程中失去功能的最佳方法是什么，以及我们如何确定一种干预措施是否会降低肌肉骨骼疾病的风险？4.基于体力活动的变化、改善的营养或基于药物的方法，哪些干预措施在保护老年人肌肉骨骼功能方面有效？实验计划：CIMA将：1.整合现有的关于单个组织的基础科学研究，以研究整个肌肉骨骼系统。这将带来独特的专业知识和设备，以确定导致肌肉骨骼组织与年龄相关的衰退的共同机制。这项研究将确定新的干预目标，以减缓肌肉骨骼组织与年龄相关的下降。2.研究监测肌肉骨骼组织结构和功能的不同方法，并建立整个系统中与年龄相关的衰退的综合评估。研究健康老年人和肌肉骨骼组织疾病患者肌肉骨骼系统的变化，以确定哪些群体将为干预研究提供最多的信息。在不损害关节、改善营养或新药的情况下，根据改善骨骼、肌腱、韧带和肌肉功能的运动类型，设计新的疗法来防止与年龄相关的肌肉骨骼组织的衰退。培训最高标准的新研究人员，以提高解决肌肉骨骼老化问题的能力。新奇：该中心的工作将是新颖的，将集中解决一个共同的问题，即目前3所大学的专业知识和设施。它将确定与年龄相关的骨、关节、肌腱、韧带和肌肉功能丧失的新的共同机制，这可能为可能的新药干预提供途径。

ObjectivesThis proposal will bring together researchers from 3 leading UK Universities to establish a Centre of Excellence that will undertake world-leading research to understand why our bones, joints and muscles function less well as we age and why older people develop clinical diseases of bones, joints and muscles, such as arthritis or osteoporosis. The Centre will also investigate new ways of preventing the deterioration of bones, muscle and joints that occur as we age to help preserve mobility and independence in older people.Clinical BenefitsUnderstanding why our bones, joints and muscles function less well as we get older is crucial to improving ways of preventing the decline in musculoskeletal function that occurs in older people and to an understanding of why older people develop diseases such as osteoporosis or arthritis. Our work aims to develop ways of preventing ageing-related changes in bone, joints and muscle which will be acceptable, cost effective and sustainable for everyone who could benefit from them. This will lead to major improvements in the quality of life of older people associated with increased mobility, greater opportunity for independent living and a decreased risk of developing clinical disorders of bones and joints. Questions: This application will bring together outstanding researchers from the Universities of Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield to undertake innovative and integrated studies of the whole musculoskeletal system. These groups have previously studied individual tissues, but will combine together in this innovative Centre to find answers to a number of important questions:1. What are the common mechanisms that underlie the age-related deterioration in function of joints, bone, tendon, ligaments and muscle?2. What is the best way of assessing the changes in structure and function of joints, bone, tendons, ligaments and muscle during ageing and how can we develop an integrated approach to assessing the function of the whole musculoskeletal system?3. What is the best way of assessing whether a treatment can prevent the loss of function of the whole musculoskeletal system during ageing and how can we determine whether an intervention will reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders?4. Which interventions based on changes in physical activity, improved nutrition or drug-based approaches are effective in preserving musculoskeletal function in older people?Experimental plan: CIMA will:1. Integrate existing basic science studies on single tissues to study the whole musculoskeletal system. This will bring unique expertise and equipment to identify common mechanisms leading to age-related decline in musculoskeletal tissues. This research will identify new targets for interventions to slow age-related decline in musculoskeletal tissues. 2. Examine different methods to monitor the structure and function of musculoskeletal tissues and develop an integrated assessment of age-related decline in the whole system.3. Study the changes in the musculoskeletal system in healthy older people and in patients with disorders of musculoskeletal tissues to identify which groups will provide the most information for studies of interventions.4. Devise new therapies to prevent age-related decline of musculoskeletal tissues based on types of exercise that improve bone, tendon, ligament and muscle function without damaging joints, improved nutrition or new drugs.5. Train to the highest standard new researchers to increase capacity to address musculoskeletal ageing.Novelty: The work of the Centre will be novel in bringing together to address a common problem, the expertise and facilities currently in 3 Universities. It will identify new common mechanisms underlying age-related loss of function of bone, joints, tendons, ligaments and muscle that may provide routes for possible new drug interventions.