Current projects in the laboratory explore the role of cellular senescence in carpal tunnel syndrome, where cellular senescence drives fibrosis in the subsynovial connective tissue. As a direct outcome of this work, Anne Gingery, PhD, and her collaborators have begun the first clinical trial investigating the efficacy of using senolytic drugs that specifically target senescent cells to treat carpal tunnel syndrome.
Another project area of the laboratory is investigating the role of senescent cell accumulation in aging and pathologic tendon disorders. The laboratory is systemically evaluating how metabolic syndrome drives musculoskeletal pathology in many tissues including bone, cartilage, fat, muscle and tendon. Further, the laboratory studies immune system dysfunction at both the systemic and tissue level as a driver of musculoskeletal disease.
