The Pitt-Lin lab focuses on using different tools to study osteoarthritis and develop treatment. Aging represents one of the greatest risk factors for osteoarthritis, but there are no reliable models to simulate this process in humans. The current evidence suggests that astronauts undergo accelerated cartilage degradation, a critical change that is also observed in human aging. Therefore, we are interested in using spaceflight as a model to study accelerated joint aging. In particular, we have developed a unique knee joint-on-a-chip system, which can be used to investigate the joint tissue crosstalk in space, understand the key pathways that mediate the aging process, and screen treatments that can inhibit/reverse spaceflight-associated cartilage degradation and osteoarthritis. The ultimate goal is to improve human knee joint health and function both on Earth and in outer space.
