NWO Perspectief for research into treatment of osteoarthritis

The consortium 'OAInject' has been awarded a grant within NWO's Perspectief programme for research into the treatment of osteoarthritis. The research group of Medical Delta professor Gerjo van Osch, scientific leader of the program Medical Delta Regenerative Medicine 4D: Generating complex tissues with stem cells and printing technology, is part of the consortium.

The Perspectief programme challenges researchers to form consortia with industry and civil society organizations. Together they work on technological innovations with social impact and the creation of economic opportunities for the Netherlands. The research focuses on the major societal challenges and key technologies and thus contributes to the mission-driven Top Sectors and Innovation Policy. A total of 32 million euros is available for the seven consortia within Perspectief. OAInject is one of those consortia.

OAInject

More than 1.5 million Dutch people suffer from osteoarthritis - a rheumatic disorder of the joints that causes pain, stiffness and difficulty moving. Since osteoarthritis is a condition that occurs mainly in the elderly, the number of patients will only increase due to the aging population. At present, there is no satisfactory treatment. The OAinject programme is developing new diagnostic tools that will determine exactly what form of osteoarthritis a person has in order to enable tailored treatments. In addition, researchers are working on innovative ways to administer medications via a depot in the joint over a long period of time, gradually, and in situ. In this way, the consortium wants to ensure that patients can maintain an active lifestyle that helps prevent other conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia.

Medical Delta professor Gerjo van Osch is supervising two PhD students within the consortium. One of them will research the development of a therapy where drugs are injected into the joint. The other will work on developing better models to test treatments and drugs more effectively and bring them to patients faster.

Consortium

The following academic institutions, companies and other partners participate in the OAInject consortium:

Programme leader: Prof. Dr. Marcel Karperien (University of Twente)
Academic institutions: ErasmusMC, Maastricht UMC+, Radboudumc, Delft University of Techynology, Maastricht University, UMC Utrecht, University of Twente
Companies: Chondropeptix, DSM Biomedical, IBIS Technologies, InnoCore Pharmaceuticals, 20Med Therapeutics, Nordic Bioscience, Orthros Medical, Procore, QVQHolding, Ssens
Other social partners: Deventer Hospital, ReumaNederland, Stichting Proefdiervrij