Canadian Arthritis Research Presentation Day - February 5, 2021
Top 8 Winning Abstracts
Etienne Doré
An endogenous enzyme promotes arthritis severity through the intestinal flora.
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune systemic disease characterized by joint inflammation and bone and cartilage erosion. Despite its prevalence, the etiology of this disease remains elusive. Intriguingly, accumulating evidence suggests that the intestinal flora (microbiota) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RA. Given that patients display an altered microbiota, we are studying endogenous intestinal proteins able to promote microbial imbalances, a process known as dysbiosis. One of those candidate proteins, the secreted phospholipase A2-IIA (sPLA2-IIA), is a bactericidal enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids from bacterial membranes. Elevated levels of sPLA2-IIA are found in the blood and synovial fluid of RA patients. Moreover, transgenic mice overexpressing human sPLA2-IIA (sPLA2-IIATGN) are more susceptible to induced arthritis than control mice (WT) lacking the enzyme.
Conclusion: Our findings reveal that sPLA2-IIA may contribute to inflammatory arthritis through its functional interaction with the microbiota and associated lipidome. Interfering with those interactions could lead to the discovery of new original targets for the treatment of RA.
Biography
Etienne Doré is a PhD student from the ARThrite Research Centre at Université Laval, Quebec City, under the supervision of Dr. Eric Boilard. Before his doctoral studies, he completed his Master's Degree in 2020 within the same research group, during which he investigated the interactions between an endogenous bactericidal enzyme and the intestinal microbiota in the spontaneous dysregulation of the immune system. With the support of The Arthritis Society, he is currently exploring how the interplay between this bactericidal enzyme and the intestinal flora affects the severity of inflammatory arthritis.
Arif Jetha
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment of Canadian young adults with rheumatic disease: longitudinal survey findings.
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable economic repercussions for young workers. We examine the impact of the pandemic on the employment of young adults with rheumatic disease and on perceptions of work and health.
Conclusion: Disruption to employment at the early career phase caused by COVID-19 could have significant and long-term implications for work and health outcomes. Supporting employment engagement represents an important strategy to assist young people with rheumatic disease to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of note, the design of strategies to assist young adults with rheumatic disease find and sustain employment should be gender-sensitive and account for occupational inequities.
Biography
Dr. Arif Jetha is a Scientist at the Institute for Work & Health, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Dr. Jetha's research aims at understanding how the changing nature of work affects the employment and health outcomes of people living with rheumatic disease and other chronic health conditions. He is specifically interested in understanding early labour market experiences of young adults and their impact on key transitions across the life course.
Linda Truong
“Arthritis is always in the back of my mind.” A qualitative study describing youth’s attitudes, priorities, and perceptions towards physical activity and exercise-therapy after a sport-related anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Abstract
Background: There is consistent evidence that exercise-based activities (i.e., exercise-therapy, physical activity, and sport) are essential for musculoskeletal health and may have a role in delaying osteoarthritis following a youth anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Unfortunately, there are deleterious psychological, social, and contextual factors associated with ACL injuries that negatively impact participation in exercise-based activities beyond the typical rehabilitation period. To better understand how to promote engagement in exercise-based activities beyond the rehabilitation period, this study aimed to explore and identify the attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of exercise-therapy, physical activity, and sport participation of youth 12-24 months following a sport-related ACL tear.
Conclusions: Attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of exercise-based activities shape how youth engage in exercise-therapy, physical activity, and sport 12-24 months after an ACL tear. Reshaping beliefs by positively reframing these activities and leveraging motivation for RTS and life-long knee health may be important strategies to employ when engaging youth in exercise-based activities beyond formal ACL rehabilitation. Future research should consider how attitudes, priorities, and perceptions of exercise-based activities fit into rehabilitation strategies to help youth adopt positive health behaviours while mitigating the risk factors for post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Biography
Linda Truong is a physiotherapist with over 10 years of experience in sport rehabilitation, and 3rd year PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia. Her research is focused on the role of social support following a traumatic sport-related knee injury and how it may influence adherence to exercise therapy and physical activity.
Rachael Manion
Impacts of COVID-19 on the Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Community in Canada: Highlights from a National Survey.
Abstract
Introduction: To help us understand the experiences of people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis during the pandemic, the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients (CAPP), the Canadian Psoriasis Network (CPN) and Unmasking Psoriasis co-developed a survey of the psoriasis (Pso) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) community across Canada in both English and French. The survey asked about disease experience before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion: The mental health impacts of the pandemic have been significant. Half of respondents noted that their mental health was worse or much worse, 57% experienced anxiety, 56% feelings of isolation, 40% depression and 31% despair. Patients’ access to social determinants of health were compromised during the pandemic: 26% had worse or much worse access to employment – and its benefits; stable income (24%), prescription medication (15%) and over-the-counter medication (13%). These findings can help healthcare providers, patient groups and policy makers to improve supports for people with Pso and PsA during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biography
Rachael Manion is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients and the Canadian Skin Patient Alliance. Drawing on her background as a lawyer and consultant, Rachael brings a strategic and creative approach to advocating for better patient care. She is also Chair of the Patient Advisory Council of the Skin Investigation Network of Canada (SkIN Canada).
Hosni Cherif
New diagnostic and therapeutic tools for intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain.
Abstract
Background: The accumulation of senescent cells in the tissue of intervertebral disc (IVDs) suggest a crucial role in the initiation and development of painful IVD degeneration. Visualizing single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data can help us effectively extract meaningful biological information and identify novel cell subtypes. In this study, we determined the effects of eliminating senescent cells as a potential treatment of IVD degeneration and we used transcriptomic analysis to identify new specific biomarkers for nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosis (AF) cells and to define IVDs cell populations.
Conclusion: Elucidation of the complex relationship between disc degeneration, tissue inflammation and disc cell populations and cell senescence appear to be critical to improve current ineffective therapies.
Biography
Hosni Cherif joined the spine field in 2017 as a biochemist and holding a PhD in cell and molecular biology. He has been particularly interested in favoring the development of new therapeutic agents capable of treating intervertebral disc degeneration and the associated chronic low back pain. The focus of his research is to understand the mechanisms of cellular senescence and disc degeneration which will facilitate development of novel disease modifying drugs. On the long term, he aims to favor the development of new biomarkers and better therapies for patients affected by osteoarthritis and spinal disorders.
Juan Manuel Colazo
Bioengineered siRNA Delivery Platforms Provide Prolonged MMP13 Silencing for the Prevention and Treatment of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA).
Abstract
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and prevalent chronic disease, but there are no approved disease modifying OA drugs (DMOADs). OA progression, particularly in post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), is associated with inflammation and enzymatic degradation of the extracellular matrix. Matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) breaks down collagen type 2 (CII), a key structural component of cartilage extracellular matrix, and consequently, matrix degradation fragments perpetuate a degenerative cycle. Here, extracellular matrix-binding MMP13 RNA interference (RNAi) nanoparticles (siNPs) were synthesized as a DMOAD. The new retention approach leverages a monoclonal antibody (mAbCII) that targets extracellular CII that becomes uniquely accessible in OA-damaged cartilage (mAbCII-siNPs). Furthermore, we engineered a nano-in-micro carrier system that leverages the benefits of nano-biomaterials and micro-biomaterials. The rational thought design of our nano-in-micro engineered technology consisted of endosome-escaping siRNA nanoparticles (siNP) embedded in PLGA microplates (μPLs) to create siNP-μPLs for prolonged silencing/efficacy.
Conclusions: Both formulations provided prolonged, localized, knockdown of MMP13 leading to a significant improvement in PTOA phenotype; these results demonstrate the unique ability of targeted nano and nano-in-micro formulations for sustained delivery of intracellular-acting biologics, such as siRNA.
Biography
Juan completed his BSc. honors degree in Biochemistry at the University of Alberta in 2017. His undergraduate thesis work was done in the structural biology laboratory of Dr. Michael James focusing on substrate-assisted catalysis in serine peptidases. He also performed research, to a lesser extent, in the structure of viral proteins, anti-cancer drug delivery, and Candida albicans morphogenesis and virulence. He moved to Nashville, TN, USA in 2017 to join the Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) to get combined MD/PhD training with the hope of becoming a well-trained physician-scientist. He has completed 1 year of lecture-based medical training and 1 year of clerkship-based medical training before joining the Duvall Advanced Therapeutics Laboratory (ATL) in 2019. He has pursued clinical research in metabolic bone diseases and his BME PhD dissertation work is in the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics with implications in spontaneous, post-traumatic, and multi-joint osteoarthritis.
Laurie Proulx and Karine Toupin April
Development and preliminary acceptability and usability of the JIA Option Map, a Web-based Patient Decision Aid for Pain Management in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
Abstract
Background: Youth with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) often experience pain that adversely impacts their quality of life. However, pain is often under-recognized by their healthcare providers and few opportunities for discussion take place about evidence-based pain management options. We aimed to develop and evaluate the preliminary acceptability and usability of a web-based patient decision aid for pain management with adolescents with JIA and parents/caregivers.
Conclusion: The JIA Option Map has good preliminary acceptability and usability, showing its potential to improve decision-making for pain management options in pediatric rheumatology. Additional iterative interviews with knowledge users will help to optimize the app.
Biographies
Laurie Proulx has lived with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 25 years and it is her experiences that led to her involvement in the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), a grass-roots patient driven and managed organization. Through her involvement with CAPA, she advocates for patient-centred health care policies and practices for people living with arthritis. She has worked extensively as a patient partner in health research for over ten years.
Karine Toupin April is an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa. She is cross-appointed with the Department of Pediatrics and is affiliated with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and undertook graduate and post-graduate training in public health and epidemiology. She has research expertise in chronic disease management, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), shared decision making and patient engagement in research. Her work has included research in pediatric and adult rheumatology, with experience in developing PROMs, clinical practice guidelines, patient decision support interventions and self-management tools. She is an editor of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group and the chair of the OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology) shared decision making working group.
Michelle Barraclough
Altered Brain Functional Connectivity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and the Impact of Depression.
Abstract
Background/Purpose: Cognitive dysfunction (CD) and depression are prevalent in SLE. The two comorbidities also influence each other. Studies examining altered functional brain mechanisms in SLE during cognitive tasks have found the Default Mode Network (DMN) to be affected. The DMN is involved in self-reflection and acquiescent during cognitive tasks. Changes in the DMN could be indicative of emotional processing affecting cognitive function. The aim of this study was to examine what effects SLE (specifically disease activity) has on functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN using resting state fMRI and investigate what impact depression has on these effects.
Conclusion: Altered FC was evident in DMN nodes for SLE groups irrespective of disease activity. Depression accounts for some of this effect but SLE directly accounted for more. rsfMRI could be used as a potential marker for CD in SLE but other contributing factors, such as depression, must also be considered.
Biography
Michelle Barraclough is a research associate based at the University of Manchester, UK interested in cognitive dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other chronic diseases. Her current research is phenotyping cognitive dysfunction in SLE to better understand potential treatment targets. She is also examining compensatory brain mechanisms in those with cognitive dysfunction and how this may affect cognitive fatigue in SLE.
- Date modified: