Joint Guardian

Joint Guardian represents a bridge between biology and public health to protect our joint from the harm of obese adipocyte exosomes.

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Background

Obesity and osteoarthritis (OA)

Obesity and osteoarthritis (OA) are two major health problems prevalent in our society today.

Obesity increases the risk of OA in both weight-bearing (knee) and non-weight-bearing (hand) joints, and obesity doubles the lifetime risk of OA.

The aggravating role of obesity on OA

Obesity can influence our joint in more than one way

It affect our knees in ways like as joint overload, Pro-inflammatory cytokine release, immune system modulation and osteoblast dysregulation.

The role of adipose exosomes and its important component micro-RNA

Adipose tissue can secrete more exosomes in the obese condition, which have been reported to play an important role in inter-organ communication and regulate the functions of joints.

Micro-RNA, a small non-coding RNA, is an important component of exosomes that function as guide molecules in RNA silencing. The key micro-RNA can be an potential new therapeutic target for osteoarthritis in obese subjects

New therapeutic needs

An efficient new therapeutic target for osteoarthritis in obese subjects is of urgent need

The basic therapy of obesity mainly relies on a combination of dietary, exercise, and behavioral correction measures, medication or surgery may be supplemented when necessary. However, no drugs can treat obesity and OA simultaneously.

Our Designs

Solid Foundation

Our previous research demonstrated high fat diet induced obesity and its obese adipose exosomes can aggravate the post-traumatic osteoarthritis caused by DMM surgery in adolescent mice.

Stand on Giant's Shoulder

Professor Zhao Yue, an expert in the obesity field, found miRNA-3074-5p was highly expressed in the obese adipocyte exosomes.

Model

Our team used TargetScan software to predict the target gene of miRNA-3074-5p, SMAD 4, a key regulator of bone and cartilage function.

Dual Luciferase Assay

Our team constructed miRNA-3074-5p and SMAD 4 overexpression plasmids to test the biological binding.

Synthesize miRNA-3074-5p Inhibitor

Our team demonstrated miRNA-3074-5p inhibitor can promote SMAD 4 expression and alleviate obese adipocyte exosomes triggered apoptosis and matrix degradation.

A New Biological Therapy

miRNA-3074-5p inhibitor can be developed as Joint Guardian to anti-obesity and protect our joints from the harm of obese adipocyte exosomes.

Our Mission

miRNA-3074-5p, a new biological therapy, named "Joint Guardian", to anti-obesity and protect our joints from the harm of obese adipocyte exosomes

Description

Powerful Features for
Our Project

New basic parts
New composite parts
Parts collection
Integrated human practice
Contribution
Education & Communication
Collaboration
Partnership
Image

About us

We are an energetic group of fifteen students from the Nanjing foreign language school. Our team is diversity, from computer science, Math, Engineering, to Economics. To learn more about us and our roles in this project, visit our team members page!

Our Team

Recent Activites

Mon, July 3 / Prof.Zhao Yue

Interview with Prof.Zhao Yue from Nanjing University

We learnt how adipocyte can affect our knee from a far distance. The secret is adipocyte esoxomes and its cargo miRNA.

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Wed, June 28 / Dr. Li Baochao

Our instructor Dr. Li baochao organized group meetup

Our team member learned what goal is for our project, anti-obesity and protect our joints!

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Thurs, July 6 / Summer Camp

Our team provides education in summer camp

We taught the primary students the consequence of obesity and How to prevent from obesity.

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Mon, Aug 7 / Mr. Tang Bo

The vice present of Novozymes Pharmaceuticals lead the tour

We were led by the vice president to visit the production workshop of Novozymes as well as the high-end equipment.

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