# Core D-Animal Models of Bone and Joint Injury & Disease

> **NIH NIH P30** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $138,844

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) are highly prevalent conditions that have reached epidemic
proportions in the US and worldwide. These joint diseases are characterized by inflammation, swelling, pain,
and limited mobility. Despite significant advances in developing anti-inflammatory therapies, biologics, and
symptomatic pain relief measures, significant shortcomings in treating these diseases remain, emphasizing the
need for additional research to meet this urgent health predicament. Fracture healing is impeded in these and
other inflammatory and metabolic diseases, such as aging, obesity, and diabetes, requiring better development
of appropriate animal models to study underlying mechanisms and advance therapeutic interventions.
A wide range of small animal models of bone and joint disease has been developed in recent years and helped
advance our understanding of disease pathology, underlying mechanisms, disease management and
therapeutic intervention. However, the reproducible implementation of these models is challenging, especially in
the hands of casual non-experts, and due to scarcity of validated benchmark criteria across studies. At the same
time, tests of animal behavior, sensitivity, and musculoskeletal (MSK) function have demonstrated value in
identifying symptoms and dysfunction of arthritic joints. Yet, the full spectrum of creation of bone and joint
injury/disease models and evaluation of functional outcomes to achieve comprehensive analysis remain scarce
due to limited availability of essential expertise or resources. Core D was created to address this need by
supporting model implementation and functional assessment as an integrated resource. During its first funding
period, Core D implemented eight essential models of murine RA, OA, and bone fracture, established a new,
well-equipped pain and functional testing facility, created a murine tissue repository, and carried out a robust
training and enrichment program. Our ability to do so rests on the collective expertise of the Core leaders in
inflammatory joint disease, post-traumatic OA and bone fracture, and functional assessment of joint pain and
dysfunction. Our long-term goal is to advance current knowledge to bridge gaps in our understanding of the basis
of bone and joint pathology, and to develop and evaluate new therapeutic strategies. The Core will develop and
maintain standard protocols and will (i) support the reproducible execution of RA, OA and bone fracture models
for use by the Research Community, (ii) facilitate collaboration with Cores B and C to enable comprehensive
analyses, (iii) organize critical resources for testing murine MSK function and behavior, (iv) maintain organized
biomaterial resource for tissue and serum samples from RA and OA mouse models, which will be made available
to all investigators. Finally, (v) provide hands-on training and enrichment program to train the next generation of
joint investigators. Aim 1: Support the imp...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10843589
- **Project number:** 2P30AR074992-06
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** YOUSEF ABU-AMER
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $138,844
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-04-15 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10843589

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10843589, Core D-Animal Models of Bone and Joint Injury & Disease (2P30AR074992-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10843589. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*