Cambridge Scientists Awarded Research Grant from Arthritis Charity
SCIENTISTS at Cambridge University have been awarded a grant of £30,785 by leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign, for their work on osteoporosis and osteoarthritis of the hip.
Dr Nigel Loveridge and Jonathan Reeve in the department of medicine at Addenbrooke's Hospital, and, will spend the next 12 months investigating the causes of the diseases. Their ultimate aim is to identify better treatment and improved exercise regimes to prevent them occurring.
Osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones, affects around three million people in the UK, mainly post-menopausal women. Every three minutes someone has a fracture as a result of the disease.
Osteoarthritis, which leads to the wearing away of the cartilage in the joint, causing pain and stiffness, affects more than one million people. OA of the hip is a common cause of hip replacement.
"Both diseases are a major cause of disability, and have a detrimental effect on people's quality of life," explained Dr Loveridge. "However, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum of bone diseases, with osteoporosis being associated with a decreased amount of bone, and osteoarthritis with an increase in bone mass."
"The skeleton is constantly being remodelled to remove damaged bone and provide the best structure for normal life. This process is modulated by cells which are entombed within the bone itself. We will measure differences in the number and longevity of these cells, and the consequent effects on the rates of bone removal and replacement in bone biopsies taken during hip replacement operations."
