NIH Grant to Support IUPUI Study

Diane Wagner (photo courtesy IUPUI)

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a major grant to an IUPUI researcher. The university says Diane Wagner, associate professor of mechanical engineering, will use the $1.3 million grant to study a new method of strengthening damaged cartilage in joints.

The method aims to prevent the cartilage from progressing to a debilitating form of arthritis. IUPUI says the goal of the study is to create a noninvasive treatment to people who suffer from post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

"The basic idea is pretty simple," said Wagner. "We want to strengthen cartilage for people who have experienced an injury and therefore are more prone to cartilage wear and likely to develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis in the future."

Wagner says this new treatment method involves a combination of a chemical solution and a specific wavelength of light that works to strengthen the cartilage. She says only damaged cartilage would be affected, leaving healthy cartilage untouched.