The 5-year grant is funded through the National Institute of Health’s (NIH); National Institute on Aging (NIA).
Chondrocytes accumulate high levels of DNA damage with age and this may lead to a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis.
This research project seeks to understand how DNA damage leads to a particular type of cellular dysfunction known as senescence. The work will also explore whether activating more efficient DNA damage repair would be sufficient to slow the development of age-related osteoarthritis.
Dr. Diekman is an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, a department that spans UNC and NC State University.
UNC co-investigators for the project include Drs. Richard Loeser, Jeremy Purvis, Morika Williams and Becki Cleveland.
Grant number: R01AG081734
This article was originally published on September 21 by the UNC School of Medicine and can be read here.