[REC Ref. No. 07/Q0605/29]
Status: Open to recruitment
The purpose of the study is to understand the mechanisms which lead to joint inflammation, destruction, and repair in arthritis. By understanding such mechanisms, it is hoped we shall be able to intervene therapeutically both by preventing damage and, when damage has already occurred, by repairing joint tissues. The pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for joint destruction in various forms or arthropathies involve inflammation/damage of the various tissue components that constitute a normal joint. These include the lining of the joint (synovium) the articular cartilage, the subchondral bone, and the capsule. Direct investigations in these tissues (primary sites of the pathogenetic process) are likely to allow a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying joint destruction and potentially lead to better therapies.
Patients undergoing joint arthroplasty who have Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and/or Osteoarthritis (OA) are currently recruited to this study. Patients are currently recruited at Newham University Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust).
This study has been ongoing since 2008 and as of 1st April 2019, approximately 800 patients had been recruited. Biological samples that have been collected predominantly comprise of synovial tissue and cartilage, with some blood components and synovial fluid also bio-banked from some patients.
Supported by NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre