Lara Longobardi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Areas of Interest
Role of MCP5/MCP1 and their receptor CCR2 in cartilage and bone degeneration during post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA), using a murine model based on the destabilization of medial meniscus. Associations between different chemokine/cytokine biomarkers and knee OA outcomes during osteoarthritis development. (The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project in collaboration with Dr. Joanne Jordan, TARC). Testing the effect of different antiangiogenic synthesized small molecules on joint inflammation in murine models of osteoarthritis (Collagenase Induced, CO; and Monosodium Iodoacetate induced arthritis, MIA) and rheumatoid arthritis (Collagen Induced Arthritis, CIA). (Collaboration with the Peng Liu, TARC and Rosanna Filosa, Second University of Naples, Italy).
About
Dr. Longobardi’s research studies signal pathways involved in degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA), as well as inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Specifically, her main laboratory-based project focuses on the role of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines in joint tissue degeneration following trauma. Dr. Longobardi use a murine model of post-traumatic OA based on the destabilization of the medial meniscus and analyzes whether blockade of chemokine signaling by antagonizing their receptors at different times during the disease affects cartilage, bone and pain measurement post-injury. These findings are critical in arthritis research as they can lead to develop novel therapeutic approaches to treatment.
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Undergraduate
Federico II University
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PhD
Second University of Naples, Italy
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Research Scholar
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)
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Fellowship
Vanderbilt University