Newcastle University

ChondUb was an EU Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Global Fellowship award. The Project aimed to address the role of a particular protein, WWP2, in cells of cartilage. We've known for a long time that this protein is important for bone growth by controlling the levels of other proteins, in a process called ubiqitination. Our aim here was to fully define what these other proteins are. We believe these proteins will be equally indispensable for bone growth.

The process of bone growth is highly controlled. Initially cells make cartilage which acts as a template for replacement by bone. Many of the steps that occur during this process also appear to re-occur in the disease osteoarthritis (OA). OA is typified by the loss of cartilage and the growth of bone spurs.  We hope that our data on WWP2 will shed light on mechanisms underlying OA development.

The project completed in 2018.