Zebrafish, a synchrotron, and a 3D printer: Unlikely allies in understanding, diagnosing, and treating osteoarthritis

Conférence scientifique | Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine

Titre complet :
Zebrafish, a synchrotron, and a 3D printer: Unlikely allies in understanding, diagnosing, and treating osteoarthritis

Conférence de Brian F. Eames, PhD, professeur agrégé, Département d'anatomie, de physiologie et de pharmacologie, Université de la Saskatchewan

Résumé :
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects the skeletal joints of over 10% of all Canadians, with up to 50% of the elderly afflicted.  Despite this significant health burden, the understood causes and treatment options for OA are relatively limited. In this talk, I highlight the variety of approaches in my lab that aim to shed light on these health issues. Using zebrafish developmental genetics, we identify and characterize novel players in the proteoglycan synthesis pathway to help understand the molecular mechanisms of OA, also analyzing the role of proteoglycan-dependent growth factor signalling. Using novel synchrotron imaging techniques, such as phase-contrast micro-CT and X-ray fluorescence, we help develop diagnostic tools for OA, taking advantage of cartilage proteoglycan sulfation. Finally, we use a hybrid, 3D bioprinting approach to mimic both the mechanical and biological properties of articular cartilage, helping to provide a novel therapeutic treatment for sufferers of OA.