The Arthritis Foundation will welcome about 120 scientists from around the globe to Chicago Oct. 26-28 for the Segal North American Osteoarthritis Workshop (SNOW V). Researchers and policymakers attending the event will discuss key topics like regulatory and economic obstacles to pharmaceutical research for osteoarthritis (OA), and understanding the joint as an organ and OA as a disease.

On Friday evening, the FDA’s Dr. Janet Woodcock will lead a discussion on optimizing conditions to promote development of new interventions for OA. Other panel discussions will examine the role of disease mechanisms like obesity, trauma and metabolic syndrome in OA, and the functional capacity of the joint.

SNOW V will give the Arthritis Foundation an opportunity to focus on our plans to launch a multicenter intervention trial based on acute ACL injury. Researchers will also explore the application of stem cells to repair joint tissues or to restore an anabolic state to the joint.

This workshop is part of the Segal Osteoarthritis Research Initiative, launched in 2001 through the generosity of Gordon and Carole Segal, founders of the home furnishings retailer Crate and Barrel. Since its inception, more than 24 innovative OA research projects, using state-of-theart techniques in molecular biochemistry, genetics, epidemiology and tissue engineering, have been funded.