# A Novel Contrast Agent for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Imaging

> **NIH NIH R21** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $186,450

## Abstract

Project Summary
Posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common and serious complication that can occur following acute knee
injury, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. The inability of surgical reconstruction to prevent the
development of PTOA, suggests that acute biochemical changes in the joint following injury trigger the
cascade of events leading to PTOA. Perpetuation of the inflammatory response to injury is hypothesized as an
important factor in the process of joint degeneration, thus representing an attractive target for therapy. In
general, the inflammation observed in PTOA is chronic, low-grade, mediated primarily by the innate immune
system. Although several mechanisms have been identified that can activate the inflammatory response in
vitro, there is little known on how the inflammatory response occurs in vivo, since we lack the technology to
track inflammation in vivo. Current methods to assess inflammation in PTOA are either destructive like
histology, are not tissue-specific like the analysis of inflammatory factors, or lack the biological specificity such
as imaging. Molecular imaging represents a natural approach to address the pathogenesis of PTOA, since it
can image inflammation processes at the molecular level with complete joint coverage. Our research aims to
develop a new contrast agent to image low-grade inflammation in PTOA in vivo by using a peptide that
specifically target cell surface receptors, which play important roles in inflammatory signaling and tissue repair.
We propose to use a multimodal imaging approach combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and near
infrared (NIR) imaging. We will conduct experiments to validate the contrast agent in vitro and to assess its
pharmacokinetics at early and late stage in vivo. Lastly, we will test the contrast agent in a longitudinal study.
The results of this proposal will provide a platform to elucidate the pathophysiology of PTOA, help identifying
new therapeutic targets, and track therapy response. The molecular probe developed in this application has
potential for human clinical translation since its targets are preserved cross-species.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9884603
- **Project number:** 5R21AR074215-02
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jose Maria Raya Garcia del Olmo
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $186,450
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-02 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9884603

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9884603, A Novel Contrast Agent for Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Imaging (5R21AR074215-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9884603. Licensed CC0.

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