Grant: Project Grant

Many tissues in humans exhibit destruction and loss of function as a result of inflammatory diseases. Some of these diseases, like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and a type of gum disease known as periodontitis, are of high prevalence, cause substantial pain and are associated with high treatment costs. These diseases also exhibit long-standing chronic inflammation that is interrupted by brief episodes during which there is rapid tissue destruction. In this application we examine one important mechanism by which a protein released from cells in chronic inflammation causes tissue destruction during brief episodes and we examine how this destructive mechanism can be inhibited to conserve tissue structure and function.