A decade of breakthroughs: How arthritis research is transforming care

For millions of Canadians, arthritis means waking up in pain, moving through the day with limits, and missing out on moments that matter.

While there’s still no cure, there’s more reason for hope than ever. Across the country, researchers supported by Arthritis Society Canada are changing what’s possible — on the path to detecting arthritis earlier, developing personalized treatments, and even regenerating damaged joints.

As the country’s largest charitable funder of arthritis research, Arthritis Society Canada has invested more than $240 million in discoveries that are transforming care. From advances in genetics and regenerative medicine to artificial intelligence and gut health, Canadian scientists are bringing us closer to a future free from arthritis pain.

This is the story of a decade of progress — and why there’s a genuine reason for optimism.

Genomics and epigenomics

Unlocking the blueprint of arthritis

Every cell in our body carries clues about who we are and how we heal. Genomics is one way to look at how our DNA influences arthritis, while epigenomics studies chemical “tags” that turn genes “on” or “off” that can be triggered by factors like stress, diet, or pollution. Together, they’re helping scientists uncover secrets in our DNA that could predict – and one day – prevent arthritis.

At McGill University, Dr. Celia Greenwood and her team, funded by Arthritis Society Canada, are studying why rheumatoid arthritis affects three times more women than men. By analyzing genetic material from more than 200 people with rheumatoid arthritis, they’re identifying genes in the X chromosome that may influence disease development, and whether these genes are associated with changes that occur before symptoms start.

Each new discovery is helping researchers get closer to predicting arthritis earlier, tailoring treatments, and even finding ways to prevent arthritis before joint damage occurs.

Precision medicine

A more personalized approach

Arthritis is a complex chronic disease, with more than 100 types. And no two people experience it the same way. Symptoms and treatment responses vary drastically, so care must be personalized.

That’s precision medicine: treatment and care tailored to the individual’s biology, lifestyle, and preferences to find the best possible approach.

At the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, University Health Network, Dr. Mohit Kapoor and his team are studying the knee’s largest fat pad, known as the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP). They’ve identified distinct molecular patterns linked to knee osteoarthritis that differ by sex and body weight. These insights could help researchers identify new therapeutic targets and develop more tailored treatment strategies in the future.

Researchers are also pinpointing distinct cell types inside joints and building biomarker panels — sets of biological measurements like proteins, genes, or molecules from blood and tissue — to guide care. Together, these discoveries are moving us toward treatments that not only improve outcomes but also give people greater control and choice in how their arthritis is managed.

Regenerative medicine

Repairing joints to restore mobility

The promise of regenerative medicine is revolutionary. For so long, the reality has been that once joint damage occurs, it’s irreversible. But in recent years, scientists have begun developing new therapies that may actually restore the joints, rather than just slowing their decline. Over the last six years, researchers have made remarkable strides, finding new ways to prepare and deliver cells and tissues that can help repair damaged joints. These customized approaches, tailored to a person’s disease stage and individual characteristics, are bringing us closer to true joint restoration, possibly reducing the need for joint replacements.

With Arthritis Society Canada’s support, Dr. Olufemi Ayeni, Professor and Academic Division Head of Orthopaedic Surgery at McMaster University, is leading the REPAIR Trial — a groundbreaking multi-clinical study exploring how to regenerate damaged cartilage in the hip. Unlike the traditional microfracture technique, which stimulates limited tissue growth by drilling into cartilage, Dr. Ayeni’s approach uses a gentler microfracture combined with a collagen covering to encourage the development of stronger, more durable cartilage.

This first-of-its-kind approach could prevent the onset of osteoarthritis and offer people a real chance to avoid joint replacement surgery. “In the best-case scenario, we find another viable treatment option to treat a wide range of patients with painful hips due to early arthritis and cartilage damage,” Dr. Ayeni says. “The long-term hope is that we can delay the need for more involved surgery, such as hip replacement or other treatments.”

While there’s still work ahead before these therapies can be widely available, this leap forward brings us closer to turning the promise of joint repair into a real option for people with arthritis.

Artificial intelligence

A new era of accuracy and innovation

What was once the realm of science fiction is now being harnessed to improve health and quality of life. Researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect subtle changes in joints and analyze complex data to optimize personalized treatment plans.

At the University of Calgary, Arthritis Society Canada-supported researchers Dr. Nathan Neeteson and Dr. Steven Boyd, with lead author Callie Stirling, have developed an AI-powered tool that can detect and segment traumatic bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in knee MRIs. These changes are often observed after trauma and can be an early sign of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. By automating what would take significant hours of manual work, this tool could help doctors spot changes faster and make it easier to diagnose, monitor, and study arthritis progression.

AI is accelerating progress toward faster, earlier intervention, and more precise treatment selections that benefit both patients and clinicians.

As researchers continue to refine these powerful tools, they remain committed to using AI responsibly — ensuring that data is handled ethically and that innovations remain accessible and equitable.

The gut and the microbiome

Understanding how your gut impacts inflammation

Your gut might have more to do with arthritis than you think. It’s home to trillions of microbes — known as the gut microbiota — that do far more than help with digestion. These microbes, and their genetic material (the human microbiome), can influence arthritis development and progression. This growing understanding among scientists is opening the door to new treatments that focus on the gut rather than just suppressing the immune system.

At the University Health Network, Arthritis Society Canada–funded researcher Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan is studying how gut health affects osteoarthritis. Her work examines how diet and gut health may trigger joint inflammation — and whether certain interventions, such as dietary changes, probiotics, or even future treatments like capsules or injections, could delay or reduce the need for surgery.

To do this, her team studies immune cell responses and collects detailed information from participants’ diets, blood, and stool samples. These findings are helping them understand how inflammation begins and how it can be stopped, paving the way for safer, more personalized treatments that target arthritis at its source.

For people living with the daily pain of arthritis, these advances could buy something invaluable: time. As Dr. Viswanathan explains, “If we can buy people two years that are pain-free, that could be the time we need to make important new discoveries.”

Building a pain-free future

Together, we are changing what’s possible for people living with arthritis. Each breakthrough represents more than scientific progress — it’s a step toward renewed hope and independence.

But to keep that momentum going, we need continued commitment. While Canada’s largest funder of health research has increased its overall investments by 22% in recent years, its investment in arthritis research has declined by 24%. Arthritis research now represents just 1.23% of the total budget — down from 1.96% in 2017, an almost 40% drop.

That gap is also an opportunity to come together, to champion discovery, and to ensure arthritis research receives the attention it deserves. A decade of progress has already reshaped the future of arthritis care. With sustained collaboration and support, we can accelerate the next wave of innovation toward a future where arthritis pain can be prevented, treated, or even eliminated.

Join us. Your donation today will help fuel the research that’s transforming lives and bringing us closer to a pain-free future.

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