Improving Outcomes In Systemic Autoimmune Disease: A Collaborative And Interdisciplinary Program Of Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,048.00
Summary
The multi-organ autoimmune diseases ‘scleroderma’ and ‘lupus’ have a profound negative impact on quality of life and life expectancy. The overall goal of my research is to improve patient outcomes in these two diseases. My collaborative and interdisciplinary research program entails quantifying disease burden, identifying patient subsets, optimising screening for complications, developing outcome measures for use in practice and research, and trialing new therapies.
A Randomised Trial Of Krill Oil For Osteoarthritis Of The Knee
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$751,491.00
Summary
This study trials krill oil vs placebo, for painful knee osteoarthritis in people with joint swelling on MRI scans, to assess if krill oil reduces knee pain and knee swelling over 24 weeks. If krill oil can delay loss of knee cartilage through effects on cartilage and bone, this this could lead to a delay in the time to knee replacement surgery and improvements in quality of life for those suffering from OA.
DICKENS - A Randomised Controlled Trial Of DIaCerein To Treat KneE Osteoarthritis With EffusioN-Synovitis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,327,836.00
Summary
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is common, but the current treatments are poor. Almost 60% of people with knee OA have joint inflammation. Patients with inflammation are more likely to experience joint pain and rapid joint destruction. We propose that treating patients with inflammatory knee OA with the anti-inflammatory drug, diacerein, will reduce pain and joint damage.
A Randomised Trial Of Zoledronic Acid For Osteoarthritis Of The Knee
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$989,238.00
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is increasing markedly due to an ageing population. Despite its large disease burden, there are currently no approved disease-modifying drugs available which modify structural progression of OA. The aim of this study is to compare zoledronic acid treatment to placebo on knee structural change and knee pain over two years. It is hypothesised that zoledronic acid will reduce cartilage loss, knee pain, and bone marrow lesion size.
Improving Musculoskeletal Pain By Matching The Right Treatment With The Right Patient
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
Musculoskeletal pain is common, disabling, and costly in Australia. Current treatment options are poor. This program of research uses clinical trials to investigate new therapy options for osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. These studies aim to provide new effective treatment options for patients that can improve pain, slow joint damage and decrease the overall burden of musculoskeletal disease.
Does Metformin Have A Disease Modifying Effect In Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis? A Multicentre Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,676.00
Summary
Osteoarthritis(OA) is a major contributor to this disease burden. Currently, there is no therapy that slows disease progression. Metformin may affect OA progression via multiple pathways that address the pathogenesis of knee OA, including weight loss, glucose- and lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammation. This will be the world first randomised, double-blind controlled trial, to assess the effect of metformin, compared with placebo, on knee OA-related structural and clinical outcomes
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) To Improve Understanding Of Knee Osteoarthritis And Develop Effective Therapeutic Treatments
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$299,564.00
Summary
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is increasing markedly due to an ageing population. This program of research uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve our understanding about knee osteoarthritis. It will examine knee structural change over time using unique 10-year follow-up MRI measures from a pre-existing case-control study. This program of research will also examine two randomised controlled trials which aim to evaluate therapeutic treatments for the disease.
Does Vitamin D Supplementation Prevent Progression Of Knee Osteoarthritis? A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,016,758.00
Summary
Observational evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency may have a role in the causes of osteoarthritis (OA) and there are biologically plausible mechanisms to explain this. There is, however, no evidence which shows that intervening with vitamin D supplementation can slow the progression of OA. This study will compare knee OA structural changes in patients receiving vitamin D supplementation with those receiving a placebo. Use of MRI will provide sensitive measures of knee OA changes.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 30% of Australians over the age of 65, but also at younger ages. It causes joint pain and stiffness, especially on exercise. The cause is unknown but it results in loss of joint cartilage. There are few treatments available to stop the progression, which can finally result in need for an artificial joint. Most treatments such as paracetamol and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain but have no effect on cartilage. NSAIDs can have serious ....Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 30% of Australians over the age of 65, but also at younger ages. It causes joint pain and stiffness, especially on exercise. The cause is unknown but it results in loss of joint cartilage. There are few treatments available to stop the progression, which can finally result in need for an artificial joint. Most treatments such as paracetamol and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain but have no effect on cartilage. NSAIDs can have serious side effects such as stomach ulcers and increased cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks). Fish oil has possible benefits in OA as it decreases pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA, another type of arthritis with joint inflammation and swelling), less use of NSAID in patients with RA, and in laboratory experiments may reduce cartilage breakdown in OA. It is likely that fish oil will have few side effects and decrease blood cholesterol. Many people with OA are already taking fish oil, however, there is no studies to know if it is effective in OA. The aim of this proposal is to study the effect of fish oil on pain and progression of knee OA, by doing a randomised clinical trial. Participants with knee OA will be given either high dose fish oil or similar oil with low levels of fish oil. The study will run for 2 years and during that time, we will measure pain and blood levels of fatty acids (part of the fish oil) and cholesterol. At the beginning and end of the study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee, a knee xray, and bone density testing will be done. The outcomes of the study will be to determine if fish oil affects pain and function (measured by questionnaires) and progression of OA (measured by cartilage changes on MRI). If fish oil is shown to reduce pain and disability and cartilage loss in OA, it will provide Australians with OA an alternative treatment that is low in side effects with positive effects on cardiovascular disease.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Effectiveness Of Zoledronate Therapy In Osteonecrosis Of The Hip.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$535,441.00
Summary
Osteonecrosis of the hip is an important cause of musculoskeletal disability and finding therapeuticsolutions has proven to be challenging. A wide range of surgical treatments with variable success rates ahve been proposed for the treatment. Non-surgical treatment options are limited and usually result in a poor prognosis. This novel clinical trial research will study the protective value of a bisphosphonate in patients with osteonecrosis of the hip and evaluate the cost-effectiveness.