Griffin TM, Huffman KM Editorial: Insulin Resistance: Releasing the Brakes on Synovial Inflammation and Osteoarthritis? Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016 Jun;68(6):1330-3. doi: 10.1002/art.39586. No abstract available.
Mobasheri A, Neama G, Bell S, Richardson S, Carter SD Human articular chondrocytes express three facilitative glucose transporter isoforms: GLUT1, GLUT3 and GLUT9. Cell Biol Int. 2002;26(3):297-300. doi: 10.1006/cbir.2001.0850.
Rosa SC, Goncalves J, Judas F, Mobasheri A, Lopes C, Mendes AF Impaired glucose transporter-1 degradation and increased glucose transport and oxidative stress in response to high glucose in chondrocytes from osteoarthritic versus normal human cartilage. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(3):R80. doi: 10.1186/ar2713. Epub 2009 Jun 2.
Saw MM, Kruger-Jakins T, Edries N, Parker R Significant improvements in pain after a six-week physiotherapist-led exercise and education intervention, in patients with osteoarthritis awaiting arthroplasty, in South Africa: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016 May 27;17:236. doi: 10.1186/s12891-016-1088-6.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.
