New study identifies targets for blocking cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis

Scientists have made a potentially important discovery about the way that cartilage damage occurs in people withosteoarthritis, potentially opening the door for new treatments to be developed. Funded byArthritis Research UK and led by Oxford University's Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, the study identified enzymes that play a key role in joint destruction, which could be targeted by future therapies.  How these molecules contribute to osteoarthritis Published in the medical journal Arthritis& Rheumatology, the research offers an important insight into how cartilage cells called chondrocytes are interrupted in their process of maintaining normal healthy cartilage due to the removal of a protein called LRP1. Normally, chondrocytes balance the production and destruction of molecules making up cartilage, with LRP1 acting to remove proteins that could potentially cause excess damage to the cartilage. In osteoarthritis, however, LRP1 levels are inhibited by other molecules called LRP1 sheddases, upsetting this delicate balance. Previously, it was not known which molecules act as LRP1 sheddases in human cartilage, but this new study identified the membrane-bound metalloproteinase enzymes ADAM17 and MMP-14 as the culprits. The potential benefits for patients Of particular importance was the fact that this research determined that blocking the activity of these enzymes restored the capabilities of the chondrocytes, leading to reduced degradation of the joint cartilage....
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news