Manchester scientists awarded grants from arthritis charity
Two grants have been awarded to Manchester scientists by leading medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign.
Professor John Scott, Professor Emeritus at the University of Manchester medical school's department of Chemical Morphology, has been awarded a one-year grant of £27,095 for a new approach to investigating cartilage.
Cartilage is the strong material on the ends of bones, which acts as a shock absorber, and its slippery surface allows smooth movement between bones.
In osteoarthritis, which affects more than 1.5m people in the UK, the cartilage becomes roughened and thin; the bone ends touch and start to wear away, leading to pain, swelling and sometimes deformity. Hence it is known as a "wear and tear" condition.
"Joint cartilages are cushions which protect the underlying bone against loads, and the stuffing is a gel of concentrated carbohydrate-rich polymers permeating a mass of collagen fibres," explained Professor Scott, "If the stuffing was loose, as in a bean bag, the shape of the cushion would be variable. We think there is a specific stickiness between the collagen fibres and the gel which ensures that the stuffing does not move about when the cushion is compressed.
"If we can establish the molecular basis for this stickiness, as we hope to do, we will understand better the processes of cartilage wear and tear, as well as repair, in ageing, injury, and in arthritis."
The second award of £56,731 goes to a team led by Dr Chantal Hillarby at the university's Musculoskeletal Research Group, for a two-year project investigating the link between autoantibodies and a rare rheumatic disease called vasculitis, which leads to inflammation of the blood vessels.
Manchester is a leading centre for ARC-funded arthritis research. The city is currently in receipt of 22 grants, totalling £2,224,500.
