Dr. Ken Urish, Director of the Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Lab, received an R01 Award from the NIH/NIAMS.
Project title: The Role of Teichoic Acid Glycosylation in Phage Activity and Selection in an Ongoing FDA Phase I/II Clinical Study of Bacteriophage Therapy in Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection
Project Period: 2022-2026
Total Award Amount: Total Pitt $1.4 M; Total $2.3M
Dr. Urish, an Associate Professor with the University of Pittsburgh Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is one of 20 orthopaedic surgeons in the country that serves as principle investigator on an NIH R01. His work focuses on optimizing outcomes in knee and hip arthroplasty. The award is for work on periprosthetic joint injection, the most severe complication and common cause of revision knee replacement.
As Director of the Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Lab, the group has completed three separate projects developing a mechanistic understanding of the disease process that directly informed FDA clinical studies the group has helped complete or are ongoing. The current R01 focuses on using bacteriophage therapy. His team is one of a handful in the country to use bacteriophage therapy to treat chronic periprosthetic joint infection. Their objective in the laboratory is to understand how variations in cell wall structure influence bacteriophage activity. Their initial observations have made important contributions to current treatment approaches, and will direct future clinical studies and treatment stratagies.