# ELECTROMECHANICS OF CARTILAGE: SYNTHESIS AND DEGRADATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 1990 · $154,167

## Abstract

Accelerated wear and tear of cartilage in osteoarthritis results in its
eventual destruction and joint dysfunction.
To understand this degeneration process, relationships must be found
between the material properties of cartilage and its biochemistry and
microscopic organization.  In addition, an understanding must be gained of
the balance between synthesis (repair) and degradation.
We wish to explore two important questions in this regard:  First, how do
the various, subtle matrix degradative processes affect the intrinsic
biomechanical and electromechanical properties of cartilage?  Second, how
do environmental forces, in turn, affect cartilage's biosynthetic response?
We suggest, first, that electromechanical experiments may provide a
sensitive measure of certain degradative changes in cartilage
proteoglycans.  Furthermore, mechanical and electrical stresses may play an
important role in matrix synthesis, and hence in the balance between
synthesis and repair.  We propose to test the first hypothesis by
correlating changes in the streaming potential and stiffness of fresh calf
articular cartilage with controlled proteoglycan degradative processes
induced by specific enzymatic treatments of the tissue.  We propose to test
the second hypothesis in the same experimental configuration by correlating
proteoglycan and collagen synthetic response to applied mechanical and
electrical stresses, using calf cartilage in organ culture.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3156536
- **Project number:** 2R01AR033236-07
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** E2NYLCDML6V1
- **Principal Investigator:** ALAN J. GRODZINSKY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $154,167
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1984-01-01 → 1994-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3156536

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3156536, ELECTROMECHANICS OF CARTILAGE: SYNTHESIS AND DEGRADATION (2R01AR033236-07). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3156536. Licensed CC0.

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