Competition Results

Project title: Improving Dissemination of Research Results to Patients: A Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Project

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000

Project summary:

Co-presenting research: When patients and researchers work together

Sharing study results with patients effectively can be challenging for research teams, despite this being important for encouraging research participation and informing patient care. Co-presentation – where researchers and patients present study results together to other patients – may be an effective solution. Under the supervision of Dr. Brett Thombs, Dr. Claire Adams will explore whether co-presentation improves how results are shared with patients. She will work with 12 people with scleroderma (a serious rheumatic disease) to develop a training seminar teaching patients and researchers how to co-present research results. The team will test whether co-presenting results is more effective than researchers presenting alone by comparing patient ratings on information completeness, understandability, relevance, and trustworthiness. They will also interview researchers and patients after presentations to understand their experiences and improve the training. If successful, this research will improve communication between researchers, patients, and patient organizations by making this co-presentation training freely available to them.

Project title: Profiling Synovial Macrophage Subtypes in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multiome Approach to Decode Inflammatory and Fibrotic Mechanisms

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000

Project summary:

Reprogramming immune cells for osteoarthritis relief

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, causing pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility – often in the knees. Unfortunately, existing treatments mainly focus on relieving symptoms rather than stopping disease progression. Recent research shows that immune cells called macrophages within the joint lining play a major role in driving OA inflammation and damage. However, not all macrophages behave the same – some cause harm while others protect joints. Under the supervision of Dr. Mohit Kapoor, Dr. Nabangshu Das will study unique macrophage types in the knee joints of people with OA to make sense of these differences. Using cutting-edge technology to examine both gene activity and regulation, he will identify which macrophages contribute to inflammation and damage, then test ways to reprogram the harmful cells in lab and mouse models. This research could in turn lead to more personalized and effective treatments that not only ease symptoms but also slow or stop joint damage.

Project title: Beyond the Joint: Investigating Frailty Progression in Males and Females with Lower-Limb Osteoarthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000

Project summary:

Helping people with osteoarthritis fight frailty

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, painful joint condition affecting 1 in 7 Canadians. This progressive disease can lead to frailty, where people become weaker and more susceptible to other health problems. Under the co-supervision of Dr. Myles O’Brien and Dr. Rebecca Moyer, Dr. Carson Halliwell is studying how frailty changes in people with hip or knee OA over six years, including differences between males and females. Using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging with over 30,000 participants, the team wants to determine if healthy habits like increased physical activity or better nutrition can reduce frailty. By understanding how frailty progresses differently in men and women over time and how people can take better care of themselves, the team can develop more personalized treatment plans that incorporate optimal self-care strategies, helping people with osteoarthritis live longer, healthier lives.

Project Title: Towards the Discovery of Predictive Biomarkers for Outcomes in Lupus Nephritis

Project Summary: 

Biomarkers for outcomes in lupus nephritis 

Many people living with lupus nephritis, a kidney disease that commonly develops in people with lupus, do not respond well to existing treatments. Additionally, it is often a challenge for physicians to predict treatment response. Through testing kidney biopsies from people living with lupus nephritis, researchers found a type of gene that could predict poor treatment responses but, unfortunately, the technique used to measure the genes is impractical for clinical use due to cost, time, and the need for fresh tissue sampling. To improve this testing, Dr. Whittall-Garcia and team developed a technique to measure levels of a similarly predictive protein in blood samples. The team will now further adapt this technique to measure these proteins in kidney biopsies to assess their levels during kidney flares and better determine their ability to predict treatment response. If successful, this test could enhance early identification of patients with a high probability of poor outcomes and help them to receive more aggressive treatment sooner in the disease course.

Project Title: CLIMB: Complement activation Levels and Interferon activity as novel Myositis Biomarkers

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $125,000
Year 2: $125,000
Year 3: $125,000

Project Summary: 

Using artificial intelligence to design new blood tests for autoimmune muscle diseases

Autoantibodies are immune system proteins that attack the body’s own tissues. These autoantibodies often interact with other proteins in the blood of people with autoimmune inflammatory myopathies (AIM), and blood tests that look for these proteins could help diagnose and monitor the disease. Dr. May Choi and her team are examining combinations of blood proteins that could be used to diagnose AIM and indicate its severity. The team will first examine blood samples of people with AIM to determine whether certain blood proteins provide information about the subtype or severity of the disease. They will then use machine learning approaches to determine the best combinations of blood proteins to diagnose and monitor AIM. The results could help in developing a blood test that would guide treatment decisions and improve outcomes for people with the disease.

Project Title: Shoulder osteoarthritis phenotyping: Towards improved understanding, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of post-traumatic and end-stage OA

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $125,000
Year 2: $125,000
Year 3: $125,000

Project Summary: 

Improving early detection and treatment of shoulder osteoarthritis

Researchers do not understand shoulder osteoarthritis as well as other forms of osteoarthritis, which makes early detection and treatment difficult. New imaging technologies that allow researchers to study the whole shoulder joint and its movement can provide more information about how the disease begins and progresses. Dr. Nikolas Knowles and his research team are using these innovative technologies to analyze shoulder tissue structure and movement in people at various stages of shoulder osteoarthritis, from those at high-risk to those with end-stage disease who need a joint replacement. These images will help researchers understand how shoulder joint structure and function change as the disease progresses, which will help to improve diagnosis and treatment, and may lead to strategies that prevent or slow the disease.

Project Title: X-inactivation in rheumatoid arthritis and impact on sex-specific disease risks

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $78,970
Year 2: $148,570
Year 3: $149,070

Project Summary:  

How the X chromosome influences rheumatoid arthritis risk

Rheumatoid arthritis affects three times more females than males, possibly because certain genes on the X chromosome are activated when they should be inactive. Dr. Celia Greenwood and her team are examining ways to identify which genes on the X chromosome may be involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis and whether these genes are associated with changes before symptoms start. Her team will develop a computer program, which they plan to make available to other research teams for similar analyses, to analyze the genetic material of more than 200 people with rheumatoid arthritis and identify genes that influence risk. The findings may help explain why females are at higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and could help identify people who may be at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis so that they can receive earlier treatment.

Project Title: Determining neurochemical contributions to pain in knee osteoarthritis (OA)

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $150,000
Year 2: $150,000
Year 3: $150,000

Project Summary:  

Determining the brain’s contributions to knee osteoarthritis pain

Some people with knee osteoarthritis continue to experience pain even after total knee replacement, which may be due to imbalances in brain chemicals associated with chronic pain. Dr. Ashley Harris and her team will use specialized imaging techniques to measure these brain chemicals in people with knee osteoarthritis before and after total knee replacement surgery to determine whether the chemicals change after surgery. They will also ask people with knee osteoarthritis about pain intensity and measure factors known to affect pain. Measures of brain chemicals combined with the experiences of people with knee osteoarthritis will improve our understanding of the relationship between brain chemistry and pain, help to explain why some people continue to have knee osteoarthritis pain after surgery, and potentially lead to better pain treatments.

Project Title: Identification of immune signatures of rheumatic immune-related adverse events secondary to immune checkpoint inhibitors

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $146,568
Year 2: $146,568
Year 3: $147,568

Project Summary:  

Understanding inflammatory arthritis as a side effect of cancer immunotherapies 

Cancer therapies, called immune checkpoint inhibitors, induce an immune response against tumours, but the immune response can sometimes target other parts of the body and lead to conditions such as inflammatory arthritis. Dr. Marie Hudson and her team will investigate the cell processes that cause these off-target immune responses. Using a large bank of tissue samples from people with cancer who were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the team will compare these cell processes in people who developed inflammatory arthritis after treatment and those who did not. They will also examine these processes in people with inflammatory arthritis not related to cancer and in healthy people. These studies will help in understanding how immune checkpoint inhibitors induce inflammatory arthritis and in finding medications that treat the immunotherapy-induced arthritis without affecting its response against tumours.

Project Title: Contributions of distinct cell populations in the infrapatellar fat pad to knee osteoarthritis: Relationship with disease stage, sex, and obesity

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $150,000
Year 2: $150,000
Year 3: $150,000

Project Summary:  

Understanding how different cells in the infrapatellar fat pad contribute to knee osteoarthritis

The tissue below and behind the kneecap, called the infrapatellar fat pad, helps support the knee joint. Recent studies suggest that this tissue may contribute to knee pain and stiffness in osteoarthritis, though it is unclear which types of cells in the fat pad might be involved and whether factors such as sex and obesity play a role. Dr. Mohit Kapoor and his team will study samples of the infrapatellar fat pad from healthy people and people at different stages of osteoarthritis to identify the types of cells present in the infrapatellar fat pad as the disease progresses. They will also examine the function of these cells and whether they are related to sex or obesity. A better understanding of how the infrapatellar fat pad contributes to knee osteoarthritis development could lead to identifying targets for new treatments.

Project Title: Analysis of the central pathways responsible for green light therapy-induced pain relief in osteoarthritis

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $147,178
Year 2: $149,906
Year 3: $149,828

Project Summary:  

Using green light therapy for pain relief in osteoarthritis

Almost two-thirds of people with osteoarthritis do not receive adequate pain relief and need new ways to manage their pain. Dr. Jason McDougall and his team have early evidence that exposure to dim green light may reduce joint pain. In this new study, they will investigate how green light therapy affects how the brain and nervous system process pain. Using animal models of osteoarthritis, the team will examine whether exposure to green light changes how pain signals are transmitted in the spinal cord and increases levels of naturally occurring painkillers in the nervous system. They will also measure whether exposure to green light changes brain activity in people with osteoarthritis to suppress pain signaling. The results could lead to a simple, safe, and effective form of therapy using green light to treat osteoarthritis and other joint pain conditions.

• Project Title: Lyme arthritis in children: From infection to autoimmunity

  Annual Commitment:

  Year 1: $150,000
  Year 2: $149,999
  Year 3: $149,495

  Project Summary:  

  Understanding the role of the immune system in children with Lyme arthritis

  Lyme disease, an infectious illness transmitted by ticks, can affect joints leading to a type of Lyme disease called Lyme arthritis. It can often be treated successfully with antibiotics, but sometimes it evolves into a persistent arthritis that resembles autoimmune arthritis, a type of arthritis where the immune system attacks the body, causing joint pain and inflammation. Dr. Elizabeth Stringer and her team will investigate how the immune system contributes to the development of persistent Lyme arthritis in children. The team will look for differences in immune system proteins in the blood in children with Lyme arthritis at the time of diagnosis, children who have responded to antibiotics, and children who have persistent arthritis. The results of this research will help identify which children with Lyme arthritis are at risk of developing persistent arthritis so that these children can receive optimal treatments early to control inflammation and pain and to prevent joint damage.

Project Title: Self-managing knee health in young people at high-risk of early-onset osteoarthritis: The MyKnee randomized controlled trial

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $150,000
Year 2: $150,000
Year 3: $150,000

Project Summary:

Testing a self-managed program to prevent knee osteoarthritis

Many younger adults with knee injuries do not know how to reduce their risk of developing early-onset knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Jackie Whittaker and her team designed a six-month virtual, physiotherapist-guided knee health program that provides group education on knee health and one-on-one exercise programs and counselling. The team is now conducting a clinical trial to determine whether the program helps people at risk of knee osteoarthritis self-manage their knee health and improve knee pain and function. The results of the trial will be used to inform a future trial to assess if the program can ultimately prevent early-onset knee osteoarthritis in younger adults at risk of the condition.

Project Title: Varicella vaccine responses in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with biologics

Annual Commitment:

Year 1: $149,338
Year 2: $148,949
Year 3: $145,800

Project Summary:  

Protecting children with arthritis from severe chickenpox infections

New medications for childhood arthritis have dramatically improved quality of life, but they can also weaken the immune system and increase the risk of infections such as chickenpox. Dr. Rae Yeung and her team will study blood samples from children with arthritis and healthy children to better understand how well the chickenpox vaccine protects children who have weakened immune systems. They will determine whether the amount and effectiveness of immune system antibodies and cells changes in the same children over the course of treatment, and whether the immune response is different in children with arthritis compared to healthy children. This study will help doctors understand how well the chickenpox vaccine protects children with arthritis and whether these children would benefit from additional vaccine doses to improve their protection.

Project Title: Psilocybin as a novel therapy for treatment-resistant chronic osteoarthritis pain

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $49,313
Year 2: $49,313

Project Summary: 

Using psilocybin to treat hip and knee osteoarthritis pain

Many people with knee and hip osteoarthritis pain do not find relief from the current pain management options. Early research suggests that the psychedelic drug psilocybin, a hallucinogen found in some types of mushrooms, has potential to treat some types of pain, but it has not been tested for treating chronic osteoarthritis pain. Dr. Anthony Adili and his team will conduct a small clinical trial testing whether psilocybin given at doses too low to be hallucinogenic can relieve pain in people with hip and knee osteoarthritis who have not had success with other pain management options. The trial will help determine the safety and effectiveness of psilocybin for pain management and the best dose to treat chronic pain. The study will help inform a larger trial of psilocybin for chronic pain and could ultimately provide a new treatment option.

Project Title: Combining Transcranial direct current stimulation and yoga for improved pain management for knee osteoarthritis: A pilot and feasibility trial

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $49,900

Project Summary: 

Combining non-invasive brain stimulation and yoga to treat knee osteoarthritis pain

Knee osteoarthritis can be very painful and currently does not have effective treatment. Since the nervous system has an important role in how people experience pain, Dr. Lisa Carlesso and her team are looking for ways to target the changes in the nervous system that cause chronic knee osteoarthritis pain. They have created a unique therapy that combines non-invasive brain stimulation and yoga to target both the brain and the nerves throughout the body and help restore the nervous system’s functions. Dr. Carlesso’s team will use this small study to collect the first data about whether this treatment is effective and what participants think about it, which will help inform future larger trials. If this combination of treatment is effective, it has the potential to reduce pain and pain-related symptoms and may change osteoarthritis pain management.

Project Title: Targeting affective/motivational and cognitive components of arthritis pain to improve the quality of life: A preclinical study

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary:

Targeting unpleasant aspect of pain

Pain has a sensory component, which is the location and intensity of the pain, as well as an affective component, which is how unpleasant the pain feels. Currently, arthritis drugs only target the sensory component of pain. In this project, Dr. Louis Gendron and his team propose to target the affective component of pain as a new approach to pain management. They will study the delta opioid receptor, a protein found on nervous system cells. They will examine whether stimulating this receptor in the amygdala, a part of the brain that processes the affective component of pain, blocks the unpleasantness of the pain sensation. If successful, the research could contribute to the development of new pain-relieving strategies that would prevent people with arthritis from feeling pain as bothersome, providing relief, and improving quality of life.

Project Title: Developing an artificial intelligence-based online tool for automatic joint detection and scoring of radiographic joint damage among patients with rheumatoid arthritis using continual learning

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary: 

Using machine learning for evaluating disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis

Doctors often use x-rays of joints to monitor joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis. To help clinicians assess joint damage in x-rays more efficiently, Dr. Pingzhao Hu and his team have developed a computer-assisted tool that can identify joint damage in x-rays and uses machine learning to improve its accuracy as it gains experience. The team will continue to refine the tool to improve its accuracy, and they will then develop a web-based platform for clinicians to upload x-rays and securely receive reports of the joint damage. Such a tool would be particularly useful in rural or remote regions that have limited access to clinicians with expertise in assessing x-rays for joint damage. This tool will help clinicians efficiently and effectively monitor changes in joint damage over time and inform treatment decisions for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Project Title: Personalizing care in dermatomyositis: A pilot study for longitudinal home monitoring of disease activity using patient-reported outcomes and fingerstick blood sampling

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $49,316
Year 2: $48,205

Project Summary: 

Using an at-home disease monitoring strategy for dermatomyositis

People with dermatomyositis experience inflammation in their muscles, skin, and joints. Some people with dermatomyositis experience flares, during which their symptoms worsen, followed by more inactive periods. A protein called interferon, which is found in the muscle and skin of people with dermatomyositis, may be able to predict a flare, if it can be easily monitored. Dr. Valérie Leclair and her team are investigating whether information that can be collected at home, specifically interferon levels in blood samples, can predict dermatomyositis flares. They will collect health data from people with dermatomyositis through wearable fitness trackers and use fingerstick blood sampling to examine their interferon levels to determine if interferon levels correlate with and predict flares. Using this innovative approach, the researchers hope to develop a reliable technique to predict clinical flares using data collected at home so that clinicians can be more proactive in managing dermatomyositis.

Project Title: Cone-beam computed tomography as a novel imaging approach to diagnosis and treatment monitoring in rheumatoid arthritis

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $49,989

Project Summary: 

Cone-beam computed tomography to diagnose and monitor rheumatoid arthritis 

One of the ways that clinicians detect and measure bone damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis is through computed tomography (CT), which provides high-quality, 3D images of bones and joints. However, reading these scans is time-consuming for clinicians. To help doctors diagnose rheumatoid arthritis sooner, Dr. Sarah Manske and her team are developing a computer program that automatically scans images from cone-beam computed tomography, a low-radiation form of CT scan, to detect bone damage. Using images from people with rheumatoid arthritis, the team will teach the computer program to detect bone damage, examine how effective the program is at detecting damage, and determine if it can measure changes in the size of damaged areas over time. This technology could improve how bone damage is detected and measured so that doctors can start treatment sooner and monitor whether treatments are working.

Project Title: Targeting autoimmune B cells via metabolic vulnerabilities

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary: 

Understanding how sugar fuels autoimmune disease

In people with rheumatoid arthritis, some types of immune system B cells produce antibodies that attack the body and cause damaging inflammation. Dr. Aaron Marshall and his team are examining whether disease-causing B cells in rheumatoid arthritis break down and use sugars differently from other B cells. The team will study blood from people with rheumatoid arthritis, specifically looking at B cells and enzymes that help break down sugar and compare them to the blood of people without rheumatoid arthritis. This will help determine whether the changes in enzymes contribute to B cells producing damaging antibodies and how this might happen. The results could identify specific enzymes that contribute to rheumatoid arthritis, which may lead to new treatments that slow or prevent B cells from producing harmful antibodies and causing disease.

Project Title: Discovering the targets for antinuclear antibodies in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis:  Towards precision diagnosis to improve care

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary: 

Discovering antibody targets in cells of children with arthritis

Certain types of childhood arthritis are thought to be autoimmune diseases, in which the body’s immune system produces proteins called antibodies that attack healthy tissues. In many cases, the antibodies target parts of the cell nucleus, but researchers don’t know exactly which parts. Dr. Rosenberg and his team aim to uncover which proteins in the cell nucleus are being targeted by antibodies in childhood arthritis. They will examine how antibodies respond to and interact with different proteins in the cell nucleus. They will also look for genetic changes that lead to overproduction of any proteins in the nucleus. Discovering the proteins that are under attack in the cells of children with arthritis will help explain how the disease develops and may lead to new treatments to prevent these immune system attacks.

Project Title: Blockers of acid-sensing ion channels as novel analgesics for the treatment of arthritis pain

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary: 

Targeting tissue acidification to relieve arthritis pain 

Inflammation in arthritis causes cells to release molecules that make tissues more acidic, contributing to the joint pain that people with arthritis experience. Dr. Philippe Séguéla and his team are studying a group of cell surface proteins called acid-sensing ion channels, which are found in pain-generating nerves around joints and bones. They are also studying whether targeting these channels would be an effective form of arthritis treatment. In earlier research, they identified molecules that could block the acid-sensing ion channel, and they are now testing whether these molecules are effective pain relievers for inflammatory arthritis. They also plan to identify the gene that produces the main acid-sensing ion channel to better understand the channels. This research has potential to lead to the development of new drugs that block the acid-sensing ion channel and acidification process and improve treatment for inflammatory arthritis pain.

Project Title: A Scleroderma patient-centered intervention network project to understand resilience and its influence on mental health in people with systemic sclerosis: A qualitative study using a dyadic interview approach

Annual Commitment: 

Year 1: $49,729
Year 2: $50,000

Project Summary: 

Understanding resilience and mental health in people with systemic sclerosis

Systemic scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes pain and inflammation throughout the body, resulting in negative physical and mental health outcomes, but developing resilience can help protect mental health through challenging circumstances. Dr. Amanda Wurz and her team want to understand resilience among people with scleroderma to inform programs that help others with scleroderma to develop and enhance resilience. In this unique study, the research team will interview people living with scleroderma and their caregivers to understand their experiences with resilience, understand how resilience affects their physical and mental health, and identify coping strategies. They also aim to identify essential information to include in future supportive care programs to help people with scleroderma build resilience. This research will capture the nuanced experiences and perspectives of people with scleroderma and provide insights to inform supportive care programs to improve their mental health.

Project title: Regenerative approaches to treat disc degeneration and back pain

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

Potential new treatments for low back pain

Intervertebral disc degeneration (breakdown of the cushion-like disks between the spine’s vertebrae) is one of the major causes of back pain. Older disc cells can accumulate in the intervertebral discs and cause inflammation, which may contribute to progression of disc degeneration. A class of drugs called senolytics could remove these older cells, but researchers do not yet know whether they are effective in preventing or delaying disc degeneration and back pain. Under the supervision of Dr. Lisbet Haglund, Saber Ghazizadeh Darband will evaluate whether two senolytic drugs (o-Vanillin and RG-7112) are able to prevent or delay disc degeneration and reduce pain in a preclinical animal model. The researchers will test the senolytic drugs on their own and in combination to determine their efficacy and safety. Through this research, they hope to identify therapeutics that prevent or delay intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain.

Project title: Novel treatments for inflammatory arthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

Toward new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis

Immune cells release signalling molecules known as cytokines, which are important in the immune response to infection or injury. However, unregulated cytokines can also cause excessive inflammation that damages cells and tissues, as seen in rheumatoid arthritis. Under the supervision of Dr. Hugh Kim, Zhexuan (Steven) Jiang will use cells and mouse models to study cytokines that come from platelets in the blood and examine their role in rheumatoid arthritis. The research team will also examine whether shutting down platelet-derived cytokines reduces tissue damage in rheumatoid arthritis. Understanding whether the release of these cytokines can be controlled to treat this disease could eventually lead to new therapies to improve clinical outcomes.

Project title: CD40 homodimer formation and its role in systemic lupus erythematosus

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

Understanding the biology of systemic lupus

In the autoimmune condition systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the body’s immune system attacks its own cells, which can impact many organs including the joints. An immune system protein called CD40 is involved in the development of SLE and could be targeted by therapies, but researchers first need a better understanding of its role in the disease. Under the supervision of Dr. Walid Mourad, Joseph Khoury will study immune cells and animal models in the lab to evaluate how CD40 works. The researchers will examine normal and genetically modified CD40 molecules to better understand how CD40 affects immune responses and cellular processes that contribute to SLE development. With this understanding, the researchers aim to identify targets for new treatments that will improve survival, reduce health complications, and improve quality of life for people with this debilitating disease.

Project title: Development and testing of a remotely delivered, technology-enabled, Joint Protection Program for people living with Hand Osteoarthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

A video-based joint protection program for hand osteoarthritis

Joint protection programs for hand osteoarthritis are self-management strategies that can help reduce pain and delay disease progression, but current programs are outdated and often inaccessible. Under the supervision of Dr. Joy MacDermid and Dr. Pavlos Bobos, Dimitra Pouliopoulou will develop and test a video-based joint protection program that teaches people with hand osteoarthritis ways to reduce the “load” they put on their joints. The research team will incorporate research evidence and clinical best practices and will work closely with people living with the disease and clinicians to ensure the program meets diverse needs and goals. They will then compare the effectiveness of the new program to current practices to inform a larger clinical trial. This approach will lead to an innovative, evidence-informed, accessible joint protection program that will help people with hand arthritis manage their symptoms, maintain hand function, and improve quality of life.

Project title: Anti-inflammatory gene therapy strategies to promote joint repair in a preclinical model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

Anti-inflammatory gene therapy for osteoarthritis

Because inflammation in the joints of people with osteoarthritis contributes to joint destruction and pain, proteins that block inflammation could be used as therapeutics. However, early research of two such proteins in lab models showed that they were not effective for very long. Under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Grol and Dr. Frank Beier, Sepideh Taghizadeh aims to develop a gene therapy that enables joint cells to produce two anti-inflammatory proteins that target critical drivers of inflammation in osteoarthritis. They will deliver the therapy to a mouse model to examine whether it is effective in slowing osteoarthritis and blocking pain. This work may form the foundation for developing a gene therapy strategy that slows osteoarthritis progression after a single injection.

Project title: Moving towards the personalization of treatment choices in rheumatoid arthritis: Combining clinical modelling strategies to personalize risk estimates

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

Personalizing treatment choices in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis has many available treatment options, but finding the best treatment for each patient is challenging. Clinicians need a model that uses data from multiple sources to predict how individual patients will respond to a treatment. Under the supervision of Dr. Glen Hazlewood, Jocelyn Thomas aims to develop a risk prediction tool that can be used in rheumatology clinics. The research team will use evidence from randomized controlled trials of the effectiveness of available drugs for rheumatoid arthritis along with observational data to develop a tool that can give personalized predictions of the effectiveness of each treatment. This project could lead to rheumatology care becoming more personalized so that patients and their physicians can identify the ideal treatment sooner.

Project title: Investigating immune endophenotypes using single-cell RNA sequencing on patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $17,500
Year 2: $17,500
Year 3: $17,500

Project summary:

A tool to guide personalized medicine for rheumatoid arthritis

While treatments are available for rheumatoid arthritis, they don’t work for everyone and doctors need a better way to predict which will be effective for individual patients. Under the supervision of Dr. Hugues Allard-Chamard and Dr. Michelle Scott, Jean Vencic plans to identify biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis and develop a new computational tool to predict a patient’s response to treatment based on the changes found in their own immune system. The research team will collect blood samples and clinical information from patients over time and study the behaviour of individual cells, then use an artificial intelligence approach called machine learning to develop the tool. This tool will help healthcare providers tailor treatments for each person, with the goal of improving outcomes and quality of life.

Project title: Dysregulation of the RNF146 E3 ubiquitin ligase is associated with development of inflammatory arthritis through its substrate the adapter protein 3BP2

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $25,000
Year 2: $25,000
Year 3: $25,000

Project summary:

Cell signalling as a treatment target in rheumatoid arthritis

A newly discovered cell signalling pathway that controls inflammation and bone formation/destruction may also be important in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Under the supervision of Dr. Robert Rottapel, Dr. Yosuke Asano will examine the relationship between this pathway, inflammatory arthritis, and the bone, as well as whether a specific enzyme can suppress this pathway. The research team will examine cellular composition and inflammation in joint tissue to evaluate the severity of arthritis in animal models and analyze cell signalling pathways. Through this project, the researchers will learn more about the role of the signalling pathway and whether it is important in rheumatoid arthritis development, which may provide the data needed to develop new therapies.

Project title: Granzyme B as a potential therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000
Year 3: $20,000

Project summary:

A potential new target for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

A protein called Granzyme B, which breaks down proteins in inflamed tissues, is found at high levels in the blood and joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis, especially in severe disease. Under the supervision of Dr. David Granville, Dr. Alexandre Aubert will investigate the role of Granzyme B in rheumatoid arthritis using experimental models and samples of blood and joint fluids from patients. They will also investigate whether a new drug that inhibits Granzyme B alleviates rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers expect that this study will identify how Granzyme B actively degrades proteins and worsens disease and that the Granzyme B-inhibiting drug will alleviate joint inflammation and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The results could help inform the development of new therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.

Project title: Exploring PlGF expression and signalling pathways: Towards novel targeted therapy for fibrosis in scleroderma

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000
Year 3: $20,000

Project summary:

Fighting fibrosis in scleroderma

Scleroderma is a rare chronic autoimmune disease characterized by excessive fibrosis – a process that leads to scarring and organ dysfunction, which can impact the joints and many other tissues. Under the supervision of Dr. Véronique Moulin, Dr. Elodie Mareux aims to explore the role of a protein called placenta growth factor (PlGF) in fibrosis development. The research team will investigate genetic expression and protein levels of PlGF in human fibrotic tissues and cells and examine the PlGF signalling pathway in healthy and fibrotic cells. The study will provide insights into how fibrosis forms and the role of PlGF in scleroderma progression. It may also identify new targets for therapies in scleroderma and other fibrosis-associated diseases to prevent irreversible fibrosis and potentially life-threatening complications and improve people’s quality of life.

Project title: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Sexual and Gender Minority Populations Living with Arthritis: A Patient Engagement Centered Approach

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $25,000
Year 2: $25,000
Year 3: $25,000

Project summary:

Making arthritis research more inclusive of sexual and gender diversity

People from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are often not included in arthritis research, resulting in a large gap in providing the best care for these individuals. Under the supervision of Dr. Linda Li, Dr. Codie Primeau aims to learn more about the pain experiences of people with arthritis who identify as being sexual or gender minorities to find ways to improve their health and healthcare. The research team will engage with participants to better understand diverse perspectives with pain and generate further research questions. By learning from the perspectives of people with lived experiences and building partnerships with communities, they hope to uncover important information to explore in future research to better support the health needs and improve outcomes of these communities.

Project title: Inflammation and activity-induced pain in knee osteoarthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):

Year 1: $25,000
Year 2: $25,000
Year 3: $25,000

Project summary:

The immune system, exercise, and osteoarthritis pain

Immune cell changes may contribute to activity-induced joint pain and sensitivity in osteoarthritis, but exercise can also reduce arthritis pain. Under the supervision of Dr. Tom Appleton and Dr. Trevor Birmingham, Dr. Brent Wakefield aims to understand how immune cells contribute to activity-induced osteoarthritis pain. The research team will collect tissue samples from participants’ knees and use cutting-edge molecular techniques to analyze immune cells and how they differ between people with and without activity-induced pain. They will also investigate the effects of exercise on immune cells in the knee joints of people who experience activity-induced pain. This research will improve the understanding of the immunological mechanisms that contribute to activity-induced pain in osteoarthritis and could uncover potential targets for drug development.

Project Title: Advancing cost-effective analyses in osteoarthritis: Development of a preference-based index of health-related quality of life

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $124,942
Year 2: $124,780
Year 3: $125,000

Project summary:

A new quality of life measure for osteoarthritis

New therapies may offer many benefits for the health and quality of life of people with osteoarthritis. However, it is often difficult to decide which treatments for osteoarthritis should be approved and be publicly funded. One approach is to use evaluation templates, like questionnaires, to analyze the impact of a treatment on quality of life. Dr. Ayse Kuspinar will collaborate with people living with osteoarthritis to develop a new quality of life questionnaire specifically designed for people with osteoarthritis. This tool will be unique because of its patient-centred nature and its coproduction with people living with osteoarthritis. The new questionnaire will help policymakers, researchers and clinicians decide which treatments are most helpful and cost-effective.

Project Title: Not all types of early systemic sclerosis are the same: Deciphering the molecular mechanisms driving rapidly progressive systemic sclerosis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $124,500
Year 2: $124,500
Year 3: $118,000

Project summary:

Predicting disease severity in scleroderma

Scleroderma is a rare but deadly type of inflammatory arthritis that can progress rapidly in some people and slowly in others. Although both scenarios can lead to severe complications, people with rapid progression have a high death rate that rivals the most aggressive types of cancer. DNA damage can drive inflammation in people with inflammatory arthritis and it may be heightened in people with rapid scleroderma progression. Dr. Mohamed Osman will study signals of DNA damage to predict which people with scleroderma will develop worse outcomes. In the future, this may provide a simple way to predict how scleroderma will behave in different people and help promote personalized approaches to treating the disease.

Project Title: Evaluating predictability of brain and psychometric determinants for the optimization of chronic low back pain treatment

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $125,000
Year 2: $125,000
Year 3: $125,000

Project summary:

Imaging the brain to personalize arthritis pain treatment

Pain is a common feature of the many forms of arthritis. While the control center of pain is the brain, most therapeutic approaches for arthritis still focus on the joints. Dr. Pascal Tétreault’s research will switch perspectives from the initial location of arthritis pain – the joints – to the main driver of the pain sensation – the brain. He hopes to identify unique features of the brain’s structure and function that are present only in patients that respond to a given treatment, using quick and noninvasive modern imaging approaches. Based on the presence or absence of the measures identified in this research, clinicians will then be able to tailor a pain relief treatment for a specific patient to optimize the outcome.

Project Title: Imaging pathways towards pain development in postmenopausal knee osteoarthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $125,000
Year 2: $125,000
Year 3: $125,000

Project summary:

Visualizing a complete picture of knee pain in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women lose bone and muscle because of lowered estrogen levels. Older women are also at risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, which can be painful and debilitating. However, there has been little research on the links between estrogen loss, knee pain and arthritis focused specifically on postmenopausal women. Dr. Andy Kin On Wong will use medical imaging to visualize the bones and fat around the knee in postmenopausal women to study how estrogen loss can lead to fat accumulation and inflammation, its impact on bone damage, and how this translates into pain. This research will improve our understanding of bone damage patterns in the knee and inform how to treat knee osteoarthritis pain.

Project title: The TRACER study: Transition to adulthood through coaching and empowerment in rheumatology – A randomized-controlled feasibility study

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $111,269
Year 2: $117,479
Year 3: $119,741

​Project summary:

Empowering youth with inflammatory arthritis

Youth with inflammatory arthritis or related diseases have long-term health challenges into adulthood. Around the age of 18, these youth must transition from pediatric to adult rheumatology care. This transition occurs at a time of rapid change to their bodies, friendships, relationships education, and stressors. Dr. Michelle Batthish will conduct a pilot study to support these youths unique needs using a Transition Coach Program. A specially trained physiotherapist and social worker will engage youth virtually to discuss their physical, mental and social well-being in the context of managing their disease. If successful, the Transition Coach Program will be evaluated in a larger study across Canada.

Project title: Co-designing a person-centred intervention to promote exercise and physical activity for persons of South Asian origin following total knee arthroplasty

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000

Project summary:

Supporting exercise after joint replacement for people of South Asian origin

After initial rehabilitation following knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis, people are encouraged to stay active on their own to improve surgical outcomes. This may be particularly important for people of South Asian origin, who often have low levels of physical activity, additional chronic health conditions, and more pain prior to knee replacement. Despite this, exercise levels and satisfaction with the new joint are still poor for many. Dr. Stirling Bryan will co-design and test an exercise program developed with and for people of South Asian origin who had a knee replacement at least two months before. This program may lead to better health outcomes and quality of life in this population with unique needs.

Project title: Co-generating strategies to support person-centred early diagnosis and management of osteoarthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $114,550
Year 2: $116,137
Year 3: $114,813

Project summary:

Improving osteoarthritis care for Canadian women

Osteoarthritis is more common among women than men and can be more severe. Yet, women are less commonly diagnosed or treated, particularly women of colour or women with lower education or income levels. So, many women needlessly suffer with worsening osteoarthritis pain and disability. Dr. Anna Gagliardi will partner with affected women and others (e.g., clinicians, policymakers, community organizations) to identify strategies that have improved osteoarthritis care elsewhere (e.g., policies, guidelines, education tools). She will also explore which strategies can best improve osteoarthritis care for diverse Canadian women. Implementation of these strategies may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment for all women with osteoarthritis.

Project title: Creating the right microenvironment: Inhibiting mast cell derived tryptase proteolysis of PRG4/Lubricin

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000
Year 3: $120,000

Project summary:

Finding new approaches to treat osteoarthritis

Millions of Canadians live with the pain of osteoarthritis. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, highlighting an urgent need to better understand the disease and develop new treatments. A specialized immune cell (a mast cell) releases substances that contribute to inflammation, pain and joint lining destruction in osteoarthritis. This also disables a protein responsible for joint lubrication that plays a fundamental role in joint health. Dr. Roman Krawetz will explore the interaction between these players in a mouse model of post-injury osteoarthritis and in human tissue samples, testing whether drugs that disrupt this process (including antihistamines) could prevent osteoarthritis progression. This could lead to a much-needed new treatment approach.

Project title: Dysregulated neutrophil extracellular trap formation in rheumatoid arthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $119,100
Year 2: $119,450
Year 3: $119,850

Project summary:

The role of neutrophils in rheumatoid arthritis development

No one fully understands why certain people get rheumatoid arthritis and others do not, even when they’re at high risk. Before rheumatoid arthritis begins, the body develops antibodies against some of its own proteins, which can be detected as markers to predict a higher risk of future disease. The source of these proteins is still unknown. But researchers have seen that white blood cells called neutrophils release these types of proteins as an immune defense mechanism. Dr. Liam O’Neil will study neutrophils and proteins from people with rheumatoid arthritis as well as healthy people with the disease-associated antibodies to better understand how the disease develops. This could eventually lead to new treatment approaches for this devastating disease.

Project title: FcgRI as a potential therapeutic target in inflammatory arthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000
Year 3: $120,000

Project summary:

A new way to block joint damage in inflammatory arthritis

While there has been spectacular progress during the last 25 years in the management of arthritis, there is still an urgent need for simple medication that can slow down damage to the joints and internal organs caused by immune cells attacking them and triggering inflammation. Blocking a receptor protein located on the surface of activated immune cells called neutrophils could prevent inflammation and tissue damage. Dr. Marc Pouliot will further study how this receptor works and how it could be exploited as a new therapeutic target in inflammatory arthritis. This could lead to new treatments and improved quality of life for people with inflammatory arthritis in the future.

Project title: Evaluating outcomes of total joint arthroplasty in immigrant populations within Ontario

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $74,413
Year 2: $91,134

Project summary:

Immigrants’ experiences with joint replacement surgery

Despite immigrants making up over 20% of Canada’s population and being at increased risk for severe arthritis, little is known about the care pathway they face when managing end-stage arthritis with joint replacement surgery. Immigrants face many unique challenges in navigating the healthcare system. Dr. Bheeshma Ravi will study whether new Canadians with arthritis experience differences in wait times for joint replacement, complications, and healthcare utilization after surgery. This can then inform changes to healthcare policy to reduce inequities in the healthcare system, improve access to care and achieve better health outcomes for all.

Project title: Deciphering a new autoinflammatory syndrome mutation: The role of CDC42 in controlling the inflammasome

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000
Year 3: $120,000

Project summary:

Investigating a new childhood inflammatory syndrome

Childhood inflammatory syndromes called monogenic autoinflammatory disorders lead to serious lifelong complications and can be lethal. These disorders are caused by single genetic mutations and are associated with widespread inflammation, damaging joints (arthritis), skin and internal organs. Recently, a new mutation in a gene (CDC42) was found to cause severe inflammation in children. Dr. Robert Rottapel will study how this mutation affects the immune system and how it works in cells, mice and human tissue samples. This may help identify optimal treatments for children with a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder triggered by this newfound mutation.

Project title: Three-dimensional facial imaging compared to MRI for JIA associated TMJ arthritis: Identifying easier access and a more patient-friendly method

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $98,925
Year 2: $106,281
Year 3: $107,312

Project summary:

Using 3D images to diagnose childhood arthritis in the jaw

In childhood arthritis, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of the jaw is often affected, which can cause facial or dental deformities and impact speaking and eating. The gold standard for diagnosis is repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but early diagnosis is difficult and there are many challenges including the need for sedation in young children. 3D photos have shown to be a reliable, non-invasive method to evaluate deformities in children with other diagnoses. Dr. Marinka Twilt will investigate whether 3D facial imaging can minimize the need for MRIs in children with TMJ arthritis to accelerate diagnosis. This method could also potentially be used to screen for TMJ problems before symptoms develop.

Project title: Investigating the role of bacterial metabolites in monocyte/macrophage polarization in knee osteoarthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000
Year 3: $120,000

Project summary:

The missing link between gut bacteria and inflammation in osteoarthritis

What we eat can shape the types of bacteria in our gut, which impacts overall health. But we don’t yet know whether the substances these bacteria release in the gut can affect osteoarthritis. Dr. Sowmya Viswanathan is linking gut bacteria to the activation of immune cells that are associated with more pain and stiffness in joints with osteoarthritis. She will study the impact of “good” and “bad” bacterial substances on activated immune cells in human knees, and whether feeding “good” bacterial substances to mice with “bad” gut bacteria can protect against arthritis. This could shed light on how to use diet to fight inflammation and better manage osteoarthritis.

Project title: Moving towards equity in hip and knee replacement rehabilitation: A feasibility study to test implementation of online quality indicator toolkits.

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000

Project summary:

Using online toolkits to improve rehabilitation care after joint replacement

Timely, equitable and quality rehabilitation care after joint replacement is not currently available to everyone. While joint replacements for osteoarthritis can be quite successful, some people still have significant pain and difficulty with daily activities more than a year later and rehabilitation care plays an important role in recovery. Dr. Marie Westby developed online toolkits for patients and clinicians to assess quality indicators that reflect standards of rehabilitation care after hip or knee replacement, including joint pain and function and quality of life. She will now test the feasibility of their use at two clinical sites. With further research and implementation, this could improve post-surgical care and outcomes.

Project title: Imaging measures of cartilage mechanics

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $119,750
Year 2: $118,875
Year 3: $119,150

Project summary:

Medical imaging of the high cartilage loading that causes osteoarthritis

We can’t currently measure how cartilage (a soft tissue covering the bones in joints like the knee and hip) is loaded in living people. This is important because osteoarthritis – a common, painful and debilitating joint disease – could be better treated and prevented if we knew more about joint loading. Dr. David Wilson will study how best to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures to assess cartilage loading. He will use a special scanner where people can have their knees imaged while standing up. The end result will be a tool that may help reveal new approaches to prevent or treat osteoarthritis.

Project title: To develop DRAK2 inhibitors as a novel class of disease-modifying reagents to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Annual commitments:
Year 1: $120,000
Year 2: $120,000
Year 3: $120,000

Project summary:

Testing a new drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Current treatment focuses on controlling joint inflammation, but safe and effective drugs that can further modulate the immune system are needed. Dr. Jiangping Wu found a new drug capable of modulating the immune system that blocks a protein called DRAK2 and showed that the drug can treat rheumatoid arthritis in animal models without apparent side effects. He will now complete the drug efficacy and safety studies in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis needed to move the drug forward into clinical trials and will improve the drug formulation. This could lead to a new treatment for rheumatoid arthritis with fewer side effect than the targeted therapeutics currently available.

Project title: Can rheumatoid arthritis be treated with capsular fecal microbial transplant?

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: Can changing your poop treat rheumatoid arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis is a life-long, disabling disease of the joints. Although current treatments reduce joint symptoms and prevent damage, people with rheumatoid arthritis continue to experience significant fatigue, generalized pain and sleep disturbances that have a major impact on their quality of life. Rheumatoid arthritis therapies can also have side effects, including infections, liver damage, heart disease or cancers. More natural approaches to managing rheumatoid arthritis and preventing disease in those at risk are frequently sought out. In a new “proof-of-principle” project, Dr. Lillian Barra will study how diet changes the natural bacterial composition of stool (poop) and how this affects arthritis in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. She will also test if transferring gut bacteria from the stool of healthy people to people with rheumatoid arthritis in a capsule pill form (i.e., a fecal microbial transplant) can be developed as a new therapy for the disease by improving their gut health. This could reveal how to help manage rheumatoid arthritis with diet and a new approach to therapy with a promising safety profile.

Project Title: Fibromyalgia versus psoriatic arthritis: Is quantitative ultrasound of the enthesis a new marker of disease?

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: Distinguishing fibromyalgia and psoriatic arthritis pain using ultrasound

In the rheumatology clinic, people with fibromyalgia (FM) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can present with similar painful sites in the entheses – the areas where tendons attach to bone – and the diseases can also coexist. This can lead to misdiagnosis, suboptimal treatment, and more severe pain and disability. Some research suggests that there are differences in the collagen in the entheses in FM and PsA that might affect their elasticity. For the first time, Dr. Nathalie Bureau will use advanced ultrasound technologies to characterize the elastic properties and structure of entheses in people with FM, PsA, or neither. The goal is to develop accurate ultrasound biomarkers of the enthesis to shift the paradigm of FM and PsA diagnosis using an affordable and portable technology, improve therapeutic monitoring of patients to enhance quality of life, and learn more about what causes pain in these two conditions. This pilot study will lay the necessary groundwork for a larger future clinical trial.

Project Title: Improving outcomes by understanding flares in psoriatic arthritis: Patient-centric approach with in-home monitoring of symptoms, biomarkers and physical activity

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $49,900
Year 2: $49,880

Project summary: Monitoring flares at home to transform arthritis care

Flares – sudden worsening of symptoms – compromise quality of life and function for people with arthritis. Since flares often occur between clinic visits, they are less well understood by clinicians. Dr. Vinod Chandran is empowering people with arthritis to monitor their health and activity at home in the real world over time. People will record their pain and other symptoms using a smartphone app and their physical activity using a wearable device, and they will provide weekly finger-prick blood samples to test for inflammatory biomarkers using a technology designed for athletes in the field. These data will be analyzed using advanced artificial intelligence-based methods to produce a personalized and dynamic picture of arthritis flares in each person and help researchers and clinicians develop methods for preventing such flares. This research will first focus on people with psoriatic arthritis but can then be extended to many other arthritis types and contexts.

Project title: Circulating extracellular vesicles in rheumatoid arthritis: Novel biomarkers of methotrexate treatment response

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: Can a blood test help predict methotrexate response in rheumatoid arthritis?

Methotrexate is a gold standard treatment for many people recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The real problem is that in about a third of people with RA methotrexate alone is not enough to control their disease. But how can we predict who needs different treatment? Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small packages of information released by all cells in our body. Different types of EVs use the blood as a “highway” to deliver their message to other cells and have been used as “liquid biopsies” in other diseases like cancer. Dr. Inés Colmegna will connect a wealth of knowledge about EVs in oncology to the rheumatology setting where it could be transformative. She will use one-of-a-kind technology in Canada to see if EVs in RA can help identify patients who will respond to methotrexate or not. This could eventually lead to a noninvasive blood test to personalize RA treatment without delay.

Project Title: A low-cost solution using telemetry technology to remotely measure quality and quantity of physical activity and gait in individuals with lower limb arthritis

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: A novel wearable monitor to measure physical activity and gait in people with arthritis

When researchers develop new treatments for arthritis, it is sometimes hard to be sure how well they’re working because it can be challenging to get accurate reports of a person’s mobility before, during, and after therapy. To improve researchers’ ability to monitor the impact of arthritis treatments and treatment adherence on movement, Dr. David Holdsworth is developing a low-cost device that can be worn at home to record accurate measurements of daily activities. It will be designed to collect a large amount of quantitative data about walking and mobility while the user goes about their daily life, and then use advanced computer analysis to measure any improvements associated with treatment. If this study shows that the device prototype is practical and usable, it could be used to evaluate the success of new therapies across Canada, including people in remote or rural locations.

Project Title: Bone marrow lesions in osteoarthritis: Genomics and core pathophysiology

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $49,960
Year 2: $49,960

Project summary: Bone marrow lesions: A path to understanding osteoarthritis and pain

Osteoarthritis (OA) carries an enormous clinical and economic burden and affects millions of people across Canada. Bone marrow lesions (BMLs) are changes to the bone that that show up as areas of increased brightness on an MRI. They are often found near arthritic joints and increased BML size is associated with OA pain. Dr. Armand Keating will undertake a pilot study of BMLs in patients undergoing knee replacements. Samples of BML tissues and nearby non-arthritic bone will be collected from these patients during surgery. The samples will be analyzed to characterize the tissue structure of BMLs and the cell types within them. Dr. Keating will also use advanced molecular profiling technologies to gain insight into how these cells communicate and contribute to pain and greater disease severity in people with OA. BMLs are not well understood, and investigating the molecular and cellular profiles of BMLs may pave the way to new treatments to better manage OA pain.

Project Title: Development of the TEAR-SLL Tool (technique for effective assessment in radiographs of the scapholunate ligament) to prevent wrist arthritis after injury

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $48,950
Year 2: $50,950

Project summary: A new tool to detect wrist injuries sooner and prevent degenerative wrist arthritis 

Ligaments are pieces of connective tissue that connect bone to bone. Ligament tears in the wrist are common, painful and – when left untreated – can lead to wrist osteoarthritis (OA). For this reason, early detection of wrist ligament tears is crucial. Clinicians use X-rays to examine whether wrist ligaments are torn and require surgery. Unfortunately, wrist ligament injuries are often missed because the wrist needs to be placed in a very specific position for the injuries to be detected with standard X-ray procedures, especially for early injuries. Dr. Emily Lalone will develop and test a new tool to improve X-ray imaging of the wrist– the Technique for Effective Assessment in Radiographs of the Scapholunate Ligament (TEAR-SLL). The TEAR-SLL will transform the way X-rays are taken, ensuring that the wrist is optimally aligned and that the joint is sufficiently stressed to enable a proper diagnosis. In the future, this new tool could help detect ligament injuries sooner, which would allow for earlier intervention and possible prevention of debilitating wrist OA.

Project Title: Machine learning to identify lupus patients and define lifetime disease association trajectories: Preventing future morbidities and improving health

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $49,979

Project summary: Using artificial intelligence to identify lupus and associated diseases

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack itself. This causes widespread inflammation and pain, affecting joints, skin and internal organs. In Canada, each province stores information on their population’s healthcare use, which is called health administration data (HAD). Dr. Lily Lim will use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify people with lupus by analyzing their healthcare behaviours in Manitoba’s HAD. She will also use AI to identify common diseases that occur after a person’s initial lupus diagnosis. Upon completing her initial study, Dr. Lim plans to implement her AI tool in the HAD of other provinces. If successful, this research will allow for earlier diagnosis and access to treatment for people with lupus. Rheumatologists often treat problems as they arise, and this research could also encourage prevention strategies for common comorbidities of lupus that present over a lifetime.

Project Title:Development of a novel technology-enabled joint protection program for shoulder arthritis and joint replacement

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: Protecting osteoarthritic shoulders and shoulder joint replacements

Shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) causes pain and loss of function. In severe cases, the only option is a joint replacement. Joint protection programs are self-management programs that reduce forces on the joint by changing movement patterns and using other strategies to reduce pain and delay the need for a joint replacement – or to protect replaced shoulders from failing. Dr. Joy MacDermid will develop the first joint protection program specifically designed for the shoulder, informed by integrating sophisticated tracking of movement and forces on the joint, clinical data, and expert advice from clinicians and patients. Motion and joint force data will be collected from people with early shoulder OA and those who have had a shoulder replacement while they perform key activities of daily living. This will include movement recordings from an innovative shirt and gloves embedded with motion sensors. Overall, this research will result in a free, accessible, and useful new shoulder joint protection program.

Project Title: Management of osteoarthritis pain using green light therapy

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $49,976
Year 2: $49,856

Project summary: Giving pain relief the green light

Almost two-thirds of people with osteoarthritis do not experience adequate pain relief. The drugs used to control their pain don’t work for everyone and can have harmful side effects. Non-drug therapies could offer a safe and beneficial means of managing pain without producing drug-related harm. In people with chronic pain from fibromyalgia or migraine, recent research showed that illuminating a room with dim, green light can produce long-lasting pain reduction. Dr. Jason McDougall will be the first to examine the effect of green light therapy on osteoarthritis pain, first in an animal model of arthritis, and second by investigating its ability to reduce pain and stress in a small group of people with osteoarthritis. If successful, these findings will reveal an innovative, simple, safe, and effective means of treating osteoarthritis and other joint pain disorders.

Project Title: Persuasive technology: A paradigm-shift to reduce sedentary behaviour and improve joint and overall health in individuals with knee osteoarthritis

Annual commitments:

Year 1: $50,000
Year 2: $50,000

Project summary: New personalized device to reduce sedentary behaviour in osteoarthritis

Millions of people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are afraid to move because their knees are painful. They are often unable to meet the physical activity guidelines and are increasingly sedentary. Increased sedentary behaviour can have detrimental consequences on health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, research on interventions to reduce sedentary behaviours, especially personalized interventions, is limited. Dr. Rebecca Moyer aims to develop and test a new smartphone-based device that will recommend personalized strategies for reducing sedentary time. It will also monitor and revise recommendations based on device use and encourage people with knee OA to move in a safe and achievable way. The technology will be pilot tested to assess whether it is user-friendly and improves sedentary time, pain, mobility and overall health. This research aims to produce a tailored and accessible intervention to help manage knee OA.

Project Title: Understanding and improving differences in patient-centered outcomes after total joint arthroplasty between surgeons and hospitals

Annual Commitments:

Year 1: $49,931
Year 2: $49,427

Project Summary: Joint replacement surgery success: Role of the surgeon’s expertise

Despite modern techniques and technology, many people who have joint replacement surgery for arthritis are still dissatisfied with the results. Dissatisfaction may be caused by factors related to the surgeons and hospitals involved. Using new patient-reported data collected for every patient undergoing hip and/or knee replacement in Ontario, Dr. Daniel Pincus will be able to approach understanding whether the replacement was successful by focusing on the patient’s experience rather than that of the health system. The patient-centered outcome data from this project is likely to show is that there is remarkable variation between surgeons in our universal healthcare system. New data from this project will quantify these differences to provide feedback on surgical performance to individual surgeons and scale up best surgical practices to improve outcomes following joint replacement surgery.

Project title: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors as a risk factor for serious infections in pregnant women with chronic inflammatory diseases and their offspring: a population-based cohort study

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: “Will my medication harm my pregnancy? My baby?”: Questions in inflammatory arthritis

Chronic inflammatory diseases like inflammatory arthritis (IA) predominantly affect women during their childbearing years. It’s also common for IA to flare during pregnancy, necessitating the use of biologics like TNF inhibitors (TNFi) to manage the disease. TNFi medications can increase the risk of serious infections in non-pregnant people due to their effects on the immune system, but the risks in pregnancy (and risks passed on to newborns) are unknown. Under the supervision of Dr. Évelyne Vinet, Leah Flatman will assess an extensive database of health records to answer this question. This will provide essential data to help inform best practice guidelines for counselling patients and balancing the risks and benefits of TNFi medications during pregnancy.

Project title: Understanding the mechanisms of knee pain: A population-based longitudinal study of postmenopausal women

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500

Project summary: Do hormones impact bone health and pain in women’s knees?

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases among postmenopausal women and is a leading cause of long-term pain. But how knee OA and knee pain develops in postmenopausal women remains unknown, including the potential role of hormones and abnormal bone density. Under the Supervision of Dr. Jennifer Brooks and Dr. Andy Kin On Wong, Emily Ha is exploring the relationships between estrogen levels, knee bone mineral density, and knee pain in 20,000 postmenopausal women with and without knee OA. Findings could inform tailored treatment strategies for postmenopausal women to improve and maintain knee bone and joint health.

Project title: Investigating the role of anabolic steroids on the intervertebral disc

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: The role of testosterone in treating back pain

Back pain is a common cause of disability worldwide. Though the causes of back pain are complex, it is often associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and osteoarthritis (OA) in the spine. Despite its impact on quality of life, there are no disease-modifying treatments for IVD degeneration. Interestingly, injection of testosterone and growth hormone into the IVD may decrease back pain, but the biology behind this is unknown. Under the supervision of Dr. Cheryle Séguin and Dr. Andrew Leung, Jeffrey Hutchinson is characterizing the biological effects of these two hormones on the IVD in cell and animal lab models. This research will help to identify the role of steroids and growth hormones in IVD biology, and may determine their potential as novel therapeutics for IVD degeneration

Project title: The Stop OsteoARthitis (SOAR) proof-of-concept delayed control randomized trial: Can we mitigate a key risk factor for osteoarthritis following sport-related knee trauma?

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: SOARing above osteoarthritis after a sports-related knee injury

There is no cure for OA. To reduce the burden of pain and life disruptions caused by OA across Canada and beyond, we need to prevent it. People who have injured their knee participating in sports have a higher risk of developing OA at a young age. Under the supervision of Dr. Jackie Whittaker, Justin Losciale will test whether a new physiotherapist-guided virtual exercise program called Stop OsteoARthritis (SOAR) can improve knee strength and reduce knee pain in adolescents and young adults following a sports-related knee injury in a clinical trial. The program encourages the development of long-term self-management skills and provides an effective way for injured people to take control of their knee health – and potentially prevent OA.

Project title: Development of a nanoplatform for ETA and BKB1 peptide antagonists dedicated to the long-term treatment of osteoarthritis.

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: Using nanotechnology for a new osteoarthritis treatment

Developing effective new drugs for both pain management and joint preservation in osteoarthritis (OA) is a huge challenge. Because joint cartilage is a connective tissue that lacks blood vessels, it’s difficult to get drugs to where they need to work. Under the supervision of Dr. Florina Moldovan and Dr. V. Gaëlle Roullin, Seng Manivong is working on developing a novel drug treatment and new delivery system for the treatment of arthritic joints based on the incorporation of targeted drugs into an injectable “nanogel” that will more easily permeate cartilage. This research will use preclinical lab models to begin to test the treatment’s safety and effectiveness, positioning it for future clinical testing and development if successful.

Project title: Longitudinal study of bone and cartilage changes following acute ACL injury

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: Imaging the earliest post-injury changes in the knee on the path to osteoarthritis

Currently, osteoarthritis (OA) is detected only after irreversible damage has occurred in the joint. The causes of OA are not well understood, but prior studies have shown that people who injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee are more likely to develop knee OA. Under the supervision of Dr. Steven Boyd, Nathan Neeteson will study young, otherwise healthy men and women who have recently injured their ACL, using state-of-the-art medical imaging technologies to assess how the bone and cartilage in an injured knee evolve in the first three years following injury. This research will help determine how an ACL injury changes the bone and cartilage of the knee over time and how to detect these changes early. This could ultimately help researchers and doctors identify targeted treatment and prevention options for post-injury knee OA.

Project title: Total Joint Arthroplasty: tools for evidence-informed decision-making to improve appropriateness

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500

Project summary: Focusing on the patient when deciding on joint replacement surgery

Most hip and knee replacements are performed to manage osteoarthritis. Almost half of adults having a hip or knee replacement may not actually be suitable candidates, and up to 30% are not satisfied after surgery. Healthcare professionals often assess suitability, but little is known about how they can best support their patients’ role in decision-making to manage expectations and improve satisfaction. Under the supervision of Dr. Dawn Stacey and Dr. Stéphane Poitras, Lissa Pacheco-Brousseau is exploring what impacts the use of a patient-centred approach that focuses on patient priorities and informed preferences when assessing if adults are suitable for joint replacement. The success of such an approach could help healthcare professionals direct patients to appropriate resources, meaningfully involve patients in the decision-making process, and ultimately decrease surgery waiting lists.

Project title: Utilizing single nuclei RNA sequencing to identify distinct cell subsets and mechanisms in the synovium of early and late stage radiographic knee osteoarthritis

Annual commitment (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: Unravelling the cellular complexity of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, causing pain and reducing quality of life. However, treatments are lacking due to the complexity of the disease and our incomplete understanding of how it develops. Many tissues contribute to OA, including the synovium (the tissue that surrounds the joint). Under the supervision of Dr. Mohit Kapoor, Kabriya Thavaratnam is using a state-of-the-art technology called single nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNAseq) to investigate unique clusters of cells in synovium samples from people with early and late stage knee OA. Lab models will be used to study how the cells drive OA progression. This is one of the first studies looking at unique, rare cell populations in the synovium by snRNAseq and has the potential to inform the development of new targeted therapies to alter the course of this complex disease.

Project title: Assessing equity considerations in the care of patients with inflammatory arthritis (ACCESS)

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $10,500
Year 2: $10,500
Year 3: $10,500

Project summary: Differences in health for patients with inflammatory arthritis: Are they preventable?

People with inflammatory arthritis (IA) are often required to get lifelong treatment and access care regularly. We know these people can have different health outcomes, and that many of these differences are preventable. To solve this issue, we need to understand what risk factors exist for IA patients when accessing care. Under the supervision of Dr. Mary De Vera and Dr. Mark Harrison, Megan Thomas is examining health records for patients with IA in British Columbia to identify links between access to care and patient factors (e.g., income, sex, age, location, immigrant status). By understanding the risk factors for challenges accessing IA care, the researchers hope to inform strategies to improve this access and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Project title: Team-based primary care for the management of chronic low back pain

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $9,500

Project summary: Teaming up to manage chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain (low back pain that lasts more than three months) is common in people with arthritis, particularly those living with ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and sometimes osteoarthritis. It contributes to disability, decreased quality of life, and emotional distress. Under the supervision of Dr. Jordan Miller, Kyle Vader is exploring the experiences of people with chronic lower back pain and healthcare providers with a team-based approach to primary care led by a physiotherapist. This research will inform future work to improve how primary care is delivered for people with arthritis and the management of chronic low back pain.

Project title: From stem cells to to mature immune cells: Passing on defects in rheumatoid arthritis

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000
Year 3: $20,000

Project summary: Early immune stem cells carry and transfer defects as they develop into mature immune cells that cause rheumatoid arthritis 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease where the body’s tissues are mistakenly attacked by their own immune cells. RA causes chronic inflammation in the joints and can damage other organs to diminish people’s quality of life and shorten their lifespan. Even with anti-inflammatory treatments, some people with RA do not improve. Understanding how inflammation works in RA is therefore essential to develop new therapeutic approaches. Under the supervision of Dr. David Langlais, Dr. Mathieu Mancini is studying how genetic and molecular defects might be passed on to immune cells as they develop from stem cells, and how these precursor cells are rewired and dysfunctional in people with RA. Identifying and understanding these defects could explain how defective immune cells trigger chronic inflammation in RA and how we might be able to stop it therapeutically.

Project title: Early joint degeneration: A mechanistic model of the interaction between knee morphology,
physiology and load

Annual Commitments (plus 50/50 match):
Year 1: $20,000
Year 2: $20,000
Year 3: $20,000

Project summary: Evaluating risk of early osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is related to increasing pain and disability. Although many treatments (such as surgery) address these problems, they are most often implemented only after the disease has created irreversible joint damage. There is little understanding about early OA and how to prevent disease worsening. Under the supervision of Dr. Monica Maly, Dr. Kendal Marriott is developing a new approach to identifying early OA by exploring the experiences of people with emerging knee pain, early changes in knee bone shape, knee movements during walking, inflammation, and other factors, to create a comprehensive early OA risk profile. This risk profile could help clinicians identify people at risk of knee OA who could benefit from early implementation of treatment to prevent or slow disease onset and progression.