Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It affects around 8 million people in the UK and its prevalence is predicted to increase with the ageing population. It is a type of degenerative arthritis, causing the cartilage that protects the joints to break down, resulting in pain and disability.

Despite its high prevalence, the causes of osteoarthritis remain poorly understood, and available treatments are mostly limited to pain and symptom relief. Research is needed to understand what causes osteoarthritis in order to develop new targeted therapies that can prevent disease progression and maintain or restore healthy joints.