Peter van der Kraan

Radboudumc

I am an internationally recognized expert in osteoarthritis (OA) with a major interest in aberrant cellular signaling and inflammation in OA. Already during my PhD I have developed a new OA model and started my research on the role of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). My group was the first to demonstrate that TGF-beta drives the formation of osteophytes and synovial activation and fibrosis in OA joints. In addition, we were the first to elucidate the TGF-beta-dependent biological mechanism that demonstrates how joint loading and the maintenance of healthy cartilage are linked. We showed that TGF-beta acts as an essential protective, load-stimulated factor in a healthy, young joint, but acts as a harmful factor in aged and osteoarthritic joints. This has led to be awarded the Basic Science Award of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) in 2020. Recently, I postulated OA to be a evolutionary legacy.