Equipped with a cutting-edge nanoparticle imaging technology, federal funds and a quest to quash pain, researchers at the University of Florida are working to revolutionize osteoarthritis treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Central to the research is the Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI) technology, a scanner with unparalleled precision in tracking nanoparticles in the body. With intravenously administered nanoparticles, the team uses the scanner to track how well the particles \u2013 with potential as diagnostic and therapeutic agents \u2013 reach inflamed joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOsteoarthritis is a debilitating and degenerative joint disease with no current cure or effective long-term therapy,\u201d said Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., an associate professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering and co-lead on the project. \u201cOur research seeks to overcome the significant challenges in delivering therapeutics directly to the site of disease, which has hindered the success of many promising treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health\u2019s Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, this research is a partnership between UF\u2019s Biomedical and Chemical Engineering departments. Sharma\u2019s co-principal investigator is Carlos Rinaldi-Ramos, chair of UF\u2019s Chemical Engineering department. The team also is working with the University of Central Florida on this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n