Grant: Operating Grant

Studies predict that the number of 45-54 year old people diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) will double from 1991 to 2031. With Canada's aging population and the forecasted increase of OA, the demand for total joint replacement will continue to grow, and so will the need to improve implant longevity. Moreover, patients will want to return to an active lifestyle, which will add to the longevity requirements of the joint replacements. Consequently, improving implant longevity has been an important focus of health research and industry. Metal particles and ions from wear and corrosion of implants are known to be a major contributing factor to adverse biological reactions and implant failures. It is therefore important to better understand and reduce the negative biological effects of these particles and ions to prolong implant life. The goal of our research is to identify the biological mechanisms involved in the inflammation induced by metal particles and ions from hip implants, at the molecular level, and to modulate these mechanisms using engineered microspheres engineered for the targeted delivery of drugs to specific cells and molecules. The proposed research, at the interface of biology, medicine, materials science and engineering will ultimately lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches to reduce the inflammation induced by metal particles and ions from the implant, and increase implant longevity. Results will also improve significantly our current understanding of implant failure mechanisms.