General Information
•This training school is organized According to the Annotated Rules for Cost Actions (6.2)(6.3) A1-1.2 Training Schools & the Memorandum of Understanding of the COST-Action-CA21110-Building an open European Network on OsteoArthritis research (NetwOArk) (https://netwoark.eu/) WG1 Task 1.3 and WG4 Task 4.3.
•Location: İstinye University Topkapı Campus, Maltepe Mah. Teyyareci Sami Sk. No.3, 34010 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Türkiye
•Start-End Date: 1-3 December 2023
•Duration: 3 days
•Description: Training school organised with a variety of training on topics in the area of tissue engineering, osteo arthritis models, imaging and cell-based interventions.
•Output: Trained Netwoark members with a focus on young researchers.
•Learning Objectives: The main aim of our training school is to involve patients in our research planning and to also educate trainees about osteoarthritis (OA) from biological and translational/clinical perspective. Information ranging from structure and function of bone and articular cartilage and its evolution into OA to the use of stem cells and novel therapeutic strategies for OA will be presented at the training school. This would provide patients and trainees with an understanding of how OA evolves in our joints and also cutting edge therapeutic approaches used for the disease. Specific highlights of the training school lectures will include the use of microfluidics for studying the immune response in the knee, atelocollagen-embedded chondrocyte precursors for cartilage defects, biosensors for medical applications and the current status of cartilage on chip models for evaluating therapies. Furthermore, trainees in the school would have hands-on experimental learning to help further develop their skills and assist in their prospective research career. The hands-on-lab training would include creating bioinks for 3D bioprinting, spheroids and organoids for cartilage tissue engineering applications and imaging in 3D cell culture systems. Finally, an introduction about the NetwOArk COST action would be presented to the trainees and patients whom we wish to participate in the future activities of the soon to be formed European Society of Osteoarthritis (EUSOA).
•Goals: Patient inclusion in research planning in establishing guidelines for data collection, sampling, phenotyping, endotyping and clinical trial designs for companies bringing products targeting OA to the market, to avoid common repeated failures in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, OA phenotyping and stratification in progress for therapy and guideline development and co-morbidity assessment.