Advancing Research
by funding Grant Programs and Fellowships
Driving Innovation
by guiding studies such as the FAST Initiative, the SuperAgers Initiative, and the TAME Trial
Furthering the Field
by supporting the infrastructure of three NIA Initiatives and leading the Amplifying Geroscience Initiative.
Top Breakthroughs driven by AFAR Experts
Delaying Disease by Targeting Aging
Saving Costs by Extending Healthspan
What are the Hallmarks of Aging?
What is Geroscience?
What is the Longevity Dividend?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis that affects approximately 27 million people in U.S. alone. Current treatments are, however, limited to pain management mainly because of a lack of understanding of the initiation and early stages of the disease. No disease-modifying OA drug is available. OA is marked by joint dysfunction and particularly cartilage degeneration caused by the native cartilage cells themselves.
Dr. Bhutani’s recent studies have identified that normal and OA cartilage cells from patients differ greatly in the function of a novel family of enzymes. These enzymes are responsible for modifying the DNA and such ‘epigenetic’ modifications affect widespread gene expression; therefore, these enzymes can be central regulators of the gene expression changes in OA.
Dr. Bhutani’s research will identify the genes that are regulated by these particular enzymes in OA cartilage to understand how they affect the initiation and progression of OA. Using mice that lack these enzymes, she will test how the absence of this regulator will modulate OA.
