Imaging Innovation: Fighting Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

Speaker:

Amparo Ruiz, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology

Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research (CAI²R)

NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Abstract:

Dr. Amparo Ruiz’s talk will focus on the groundbreaking advances in MRI and molecular imaging for the early detection and treatment of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis (PTOA). PTOA is a delayed-onset joint degeneration condition that often arises long after initial joint injuries. The slow and complex progression of PTOA typically leaves patients with limited therapeutic options upon diagnosis. Dr. Ruiz’s research leverages innovative imaging biomarkers to address this gap. In particular, her team is investigating the peptide P15-1, which has shown promising protective effects on cartilage. P15-1’s molecular properties mirror hyaluronan, a key compound in cartilage health whose breakdown can trigger inflammation in PTOA. Using this peptide, Dr. Ruiz and her team have developed specialized contrast agents to visualize inflammation and structural degradation in cartilage. Their research utilizes seven distinct imaging modalities to observe cellular and tissue-level changes, providing an unprecedented understanding of PTOA’s progression. These findings were highlighted in a 2022 study published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, which presented the first in vivo evidence linking hyaluronan-related inflammation to cartilage damage in PTOA. Dr. Ruiz’s pioneering approach demonstrates how molecular imaging can be harnessed to identify specific disease markers, study progression, and evaluate therapeutic interventions, paving the way for early diagnosis and targeted treatment of PTOA.

Dr. Ruiz started her academic career at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. There, she received her BS and PhD degrees in Biochemistry. After that, she moved to New York City, where she studied protein kinase pathways that are key regulators of cellular responses to metabolic stress, as a postdoc in the lab of renowned Professor Mariana Carlson at Columbia University. In 2016, she joined the Department of Radiology at NYU as a research scientist before becoming an Assistant Professor in 2019.  Dr. Ruiz has published extensively in the field of molecular imaging and post-traumatic osteoarthritis, focusing on the use of advanced imaging techniques to study cartilage inflammation and joint degradation.