Skeletal muscle fibrosis leading to joint contracture is a substantial and severe source of pain and morbidity in individuals who received radiation therapy for the treatment of a soft-tissue sarcoma.
Radiation can cause a progressive deposition of collagen within muscle tissue and the adjacent dermis after irradiation. Increased collagen deposition in muscle tissue reduces tissue elasticity and leads to functional stiffening.
We are working with faculty members in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center to:
- Develop a rodent model for RIF after simulated sarcoma treatment
- Test novel therapeutic compounds to prevent debilitating joint contracture and muscle fibrosis