The laboratory of Dr. Fadia Kamal studies cellular pathways that control chondrocyte homeostasis in healthy tissue and the key processes that transform them to pathological cells, which leads to cartilage damage and loss in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease with no disease-modifying treatment available. Osteoarthritis is characterized by continuous and progressive cartilage loss leading to joint dysfunction. Chondrocyte, the functional cell of cartilage controls cartilage homeostasis by secreting cartilage matrix components and matrix degrading enzymes. In osteoarthritis, the chondrocyte acquires an aberrant phenotype, it differentiates to become hypertrophic and secretes higher levels of matrix degrading enzymes, ultimately leading to cartilage matrix degradation and cartilage loss.

The Kamal lab’s research focuses on discovering new pathways and drugs that target these disease pathways, and control chondrocyte behavior to delay or even reverse osteoarthritis disease process.