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Frankfurt UAS develops in vitro model for investigating early stages of the disease
Knee joint osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease in adults. As the disease progresses, the cartilage tissue in the knee joint gradually breaks down, resulting in painful inflammation and limited mobility. There is currently no cure. In order to develop new treatment approaches, the underlying mechanisms of the disease must be better understood. A research team at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) led by Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Ilona Brändlin, is investigating the cellular and molecular processes involved in the development of osteoarthritis together with her doctoral student Laura Weimer, M.Sc. Following funding for personnel by Faculty Computer Science and Engineering, the project is now also being supported by the B. Braun Foundation with additional material and personnel resources as part of its basic research program and will run until September 2026.
"Our goal is to replicate the development of osteoarthritis at the molecular level as accurately as possible in the laboratory", explains Prof. Dr. Ilona Brändlin. "If we understand how the disease develops in its early stages, we can test new treatment approaches in a more targeted manner. In the long term, we want to use the model to test new drugs and therapies."
"With the model we have developed, we can now track early changes in cartilage under controlled conditions for the first time. This enables us to systematically analyze molecular processes and better classify their role in the development of the disease," says Laura Weimer, whose collaborative PhD is being conducted in cooperation with the University of Huddersfield (Prof. Dr. Alan Smith) and the Clinic for Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics at the University Hospital in Frankfurt (Prof. Dr. Frank Zaucke).
A laboratory model as the key to osteoarthritis research
The project is based on a so-called in vitro model – a laboratory procedure in which cells and tissue are cultivated outside the body under realistic conditions. The team uses osteochondral tissue samples from pig knee joints, which are obtained directly from the slaughterhouse. These are expressly not animal experiments. The samples contain both cartilage and bone components, enabling a realistic simulation of the joint.
In the laboratory, the tissues are specifically stimulated with signaling substances that play a role in the development of osteoarthritis. In addition, a cell culture model is used to examine isolated chondrocytes (cartilage cells). This allows the team to analyze the response of individual cells to stimulation and compare it with processes in the tissue.
Initial results from the laboratory
In trials conducted to date, the research team has been able to show that cells and tissue can be cultivated stably over several weeks. The tissue has been comprehensively characterized, for example in terms of structure and protein distribution, using histological and immunohistochemically staining.
Initial tests with growth- and inflammation-promoting signaling substances such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) led to measurable changes in cells and tissue. In the cartilage, there was a change in the distribution of collagen type II proteins – the main component of cartilage – and matrilin-3, a structural protein that supports tissue cross-linking. These results suggest that the cells respond actively and locally to stimuli – a crucial aspect for the future development of cartilage replacement tissues. The initial results from the laboratory can be viewed in the publication at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41096604/.
Mechanical stress as a decisive factor
Another focus is on the inclusion of mechanical forces. With the aid of a stress apparatus developed as part of an IFOFO application by Frankfurt UAS, the tissue is to be compressed regularly in order to replicate the physiological conditions in the joint even more realistically.
In future, the model will also be used to test pharmacologically effective substances or existing treatment methods – such as for example, hyaluronic acid injections – under controlled conditions.
Photos from the laboratory and of the laboratory team can be found at: https://nextcloud.frankfurt-university.de/s/72F3GbYkcMgawtQ
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