Imaging Innovation: Fighting Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

Speaker:

Amparo Ruiz, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, Tech4Health Institute

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.