Sana Sayedipour | 07-05-2026 | Development of innovative therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis: exploring thermosensitive hydrogels, hiPSC-derived cells and cell-products, and novel drugs in preclinical models This thesis focuses on developing innovative therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis (OA), a prevalent and disabling joint disease for which [...]

Niek Bloks| 22-10-2025 | Modeling the genetic and mechanical interplay in osteoarthritis: from in vitro systems to mechanistic insights Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multi-factorial degenerative disease of joint tissues in which the etio-pathophysiology revolves around the interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors. In [...]

Ilja Boone | 17-10-2025 | Exploring senescent chondrocytes during aging: sleeper AGEnts of osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a painful, age-related joint disease in which cellular senescence plays a central role. Senescent cells are retained from the active cell cycle and secrete harmful factors that contribute [...]

Ritchie Timmermans | 07-11-2023 | Application of 3D human in vitro osteoarthritic chondrocyte models to study CCN4/WISP1 and Wnt signaling This thesis explores the role of CCN4/WISP1 and Wnt signaling in osteoarthritis (OA) using advanced 3D human in vitro chondrocyte models. OA is characterized [...]

Margo Tuerlings | 27-09-2023 | The bone and cartilage interplay in osteoarthritis: key to effective treatment strategy Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent age-related joint disease, determined by diverse changes in pathways maintaining articular cartilage and subchondral bone. This thesis aimed to identify and study [...]

Alejandro Rodríguez Ruiz | 22-10-2022 | Osteoprotegerin: a double-edged sword in osteoarthritis development To advance development of effective disease modifying OA treatments, a better understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms is necessary. By studyinga family with early onset OA and high cartilage mineralization, a likely [...]