Cardiff University secures £2M funding boost for arthritis research

Cardiff University has received a vital funding boost worth £2M to continue its cutting-edge research into arthritis.

Arthritis Research UK has awarded the funding for the continuation of the University’s Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre.

The money will primarily support ongoing research into osteoarthritis and chronic back pain.

Since its establishment in 2009, the Centre has made huge strides on a number of fronts in its effort to combat arthritis and its related conditions.

With expertise in biomechanics, bioengineering, physiotherapy, orthopaedics, mechanotransduction, pain, inflammation and patient biomarker assays; the Centre’s team work to define, identify and target biomechanical mechanisms underlying joint and back pain diseases.

They can count among their breakthroughs the testing of new drug treatments for arthritis; the development of new ‘bone cements’ which can deliver antibiotics to reduce infection in joint replacements; and new diagnostic and rehabilitation approaches.

Professor Bruce Caterson, Director of Cardiff University’s Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre, said: “This new award is confirmation that Arthritis Research UK holds the Centre in high esteem for its continued research objectives.

“It also provides confirmation of the strength of the research that was conducted here within the Centre at Cardiff University during the past five years.

“Over the next three to five years our research ambitions are to translate our research findings into achieving improved patient benefit.”

For example, there are several new-drug targets that have been identified by our Centre’s biomedical researchers.

In addition, a separate study will develop a biomechanically informed ‘E-rehab’ system supporting home-based patient rehabilitation for knee and spine disorders.

Stephen Simpson, director of research and programmes at Arthritis Research UK, said:“We are convinced that the progress made by the Arthritis Research UK Biomechanics and Bioengineering Centre combined the dedication and ambition of its research teams has the potential to be transformative. 

“Improving the lives of people with arthritis is at the heart of everything we do and the prospect of future research breakthroughs will offer hope to those 10 million people living with the pain of arthritis in the UK.”