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Mechanotransduction and cartilage integrity
Author(s) -
Leong Daniel J.,
Hardin John A.,
Cobelli Neil J.,
Sun Hui B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06301.x
Subject(s) - adamts , mechanotransduction , osteoarthritis , cartilage , matrix metalloproteinase , extracellular matrix , downregulation and upregulation , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , articular cartilage , thrombospondin , bioinformatics , metalloproteinase , chemistry , pathology , anatomy , biology , biochemistry , alternative medicine , gene
Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the breakdown of articular cartilage that is mediated in part by increased production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and aggrecanases (ADAMTS), enzymes that degrade components of the cartilage extracellular matrix. Efforts to design synthetic inhibitors of MMPs/ADAMTS have only led to limited clinical success. In addition to pharmacologic therapies, physiologic joint loading is widely recommended as a nonpharmacologic approach to improve joint function in osteoarthritis. Clinical trials report that moderate levels of exercise exert beneficial effects, such as improvements in pain and physical function. Experimental studies demonstrate that mechanical loading mitigates joint destruction through the downregulation of MMPs/ADAMTS. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects of physiologic loading on arthritic joints are not well understood. We review here the recent progress on mechanotransduction in articular joints, highlighting the mediators and pathways in the maintenance of cartilage integrity, especially in the prevention of cartilage degradation in OA.