Lay summary
Osteoarthritis is a painful, debilitating disease affecting over 320,000 New Zealanders. It is the most common cause of disability in adults worldwide yet there are currently no drug treatments to cure osteoarthritis or slow its progression. Osteoarthritis is characterised by loss of the cartilage cushion within joints. The cells which normally maintain cartilage become hyperactive in osteoarthritis, aggressively degrading cartilage tissue. This hyperactivity comes with a cost. Osteoarthritic cells must generate more energy than healthy cells. We propose that limiting the fuel supply to osteoarthritic cells may be a means of limiting their activity and therefore treating disease. Interestingly, high blood sugar is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. This may be through increasing the fuel supply to osteoarthritic cells. We will determine how osteoarthritic cells generate energy, whether high glucose aids this process, and whether drugs used to treat metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes) may be effective for treating osteoarthritis.