Christopher DiDomenico Publishes an Article in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering

Christopher DiDomenico publishes an article in the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.

Cyclic Mechanical Loading Enhances Transport of Antibodies into Articular Cartilage

The goal of this study was to characterize antibody penetration through cartilage tissue under mechanical loading. Mechanical stimulation aids in the penetration of some proteins, but this effect has not characterized molecules such as antibodies (>100 kDa), which may hold some clinical value for treating osteoarthritis (OA). Overall, transport enhancement followed a linear trend with strain amplitude (0.25-5%) and a nonlinear trend with frequency (0.25-2.60 Hz), with maximum enhancement found to be at 5% cyclic strain and 1 Hz, respectively. Regions of highest enhancement of transport within the tissue were associated with the regions of highest interstitial fluid velocity, as predicted from finite-element simulations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test how mechanical stimulation affects the diffusion of antibodies in cartilage and suggest further study into other important factors regarding macromolecular transport.

Alexander Jacob Boys