Journal of Undergraduate Research
Keywords
osteoarthritis, immune response, OA, mice, trauma
College
Life Sciences
Department
Physiology and Developmental Biology
Abstract
Our bodies are dynamic structures that do not operate as individual compartments, but as a whole. When something goes awry in one specific tissue or organ, specific signals from that diseased area are released affect other tissues. I received an ORCA grant last year to study my hypothesis that degradation of Osteoarthritis (OA) is primarily associated with a systemic immune response to trauma of articular cartilage. In order to verify this hypothesis, a treatment that creates OA in one localized area while other tissues remained undamaged was needed. The OA genetic mutant mice that researchers normally turn to couldn’t be used for this project because they result in defects in cartilage in all regions of the body, making it difficult to see if defect is a result of immune response or defective building materials for cartilage.
Recommended Citation
Peterson, Danielle and Kooyman, Dr. David
(2014)
"Researching the Effects of Osteoarthritis as a Systemic Immune Response,"
Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2014:
Iss.
1, Article 877.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/877