Equipped with a cutting-edge nanoparticle imaging technology, federal funds and a quest to quash pain, researchers at the University of Florida are working to revolutionize osteoarthritis treatments.
Central to the research is the Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) technology, a scanner with unparalleled precision in tracking nanoparticles in the body. With intravenously administered nanoparticles, the team uses the scanner to track how well the particles – with potential as diagnostic and therapeutic agents – reach inflamed joints.
“Osteoarthritis is a debilitating and degenerative joint disease with no current cure or effective long-term therapy,” said Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., an associate professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering and co-lead on the project. “Our research seeks to overcome the significant challenges in delivering therapeutics directly to the site of disease, which has hindered the success of many promising treatments.”
Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this research is a partnership between UF’s Biomedical and Chemical Engineering departments. Sharma’s co-principal investigator is Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, chair of UF’s Chemical Engineering department. The team also is working with the University of Central Florida on this project.