Hongsik Cho, PhD, MBA, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), has received a $270,000 grant award from the Arthritis Foundation to research new treatment options for osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating condition that commonly affects individuals over the age of 60. While aging is often a common cause, it is not the only one. Traumatic injuries and joint overuse can also play a part in the formation. OA lesions are not easily identified in the early stages of the disease, and treatment options are limited. There is no targeted delivery for drugs and biologics.

The purpose of Cho’s research is to develop a drug delivery system using very small packets, called nanosomes, to enclose drugs and a fluorescent dye to repair damaged cartilage in the knee. The research team is testing a therapeutic drug called TPCA-1, that will hypothetically hinder the activation of the main controller of induced inflammation in the body, called the NFkB pathway, reducing pain and inflammation that can lead to osteoarthritis.