Mouse model for arthritic diseases
Arthritic diseases are conditions involving damages to the joints and/or cartilage. Primary forms of arthritis are for example Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing spondylitis. RA is affecting over 21 million people worldwide and has a tumor-like proliferation phenotype.
Challenge
Traditional approaches for treatment of arthritis are typically not suitable for long-term use due to side effect issues. So there is an unmet clinical need for new medications.
Our Solution
Deletion of Ptch1 in chondrocytes results in a severe spinal phenotype. Macroscopic image of litter mates eight weeks after birth (Source: K. Dittmann).
Volume rendering of in vivo acquired flat-panel volume computed tomography data sets depicting skeletal morphology of control (left) and mutant (right) 6 weeks after birth. Lower panels show bone density (Source: K. Dittmann).
Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now developed a new animal drug screening model for arthritic diseases, which is caused by dysfunction of the Hedgehog pathway. This is the first non-inflammatory mouse model with an aberrant Hedgehog signalling specifically in chondrocytes, demonstrating the importance of this particular pathway in arthritic indications.
Advantage
- Novel non-inflammatory arthritic animal model.
- Conditional gene knock-out in chondrocytes.
- Dysfunctional Hedgehog signaling causing hyperproliferation of chondrocytes, thus mimicking the known tumor-like proliferation phenotype of rheumatoid arthritis.
- Severe arthritic phenotype of spinal ankylosis (spinal malformation) without affecting otherwise normal development.
- Good and effective breeding.
Applications
Excellent drug screening model for new targets within Hedgehog signaling.
Efficacy testing of potential new therapeutics for arthritis-related indications.
Development Status
Fully characterized new mouse model for arthritic diseases.
Patent Status
No IPR. We are selling/licensing this mouse model.
References
Dittmann et al.: Inactivation of patched1 in murine chondrocytes causes spinal fusion without inflammation. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2014 Apr;66(4):831-40.
Contact
- Dr. Stefan Uhle
- Patent Manager Life Sciences
- suhle@sciencebridge.de
- +49-551-30724154
- BioC-1265-UMG
