Current musculoskeletal imaging techniques usually target the macro-morphology of
articular cartilage or use histological analysis. These techniques are able to reveal
advanced osteoarthritic changes in articular cartilage but fail to give detailed
information to distinguish early osteoarthritis from healthy cartilage, and this
necessitates high-resolution imaging techniques measuring cells and the extracellular
matrix within the multilayer structure of articular cartilage. This review provides a
comprehensive exploration of the cellular components and extracellular matrix of
articular cartilage as well as high-resolution imaging techniques, including magnetic
resonance image, electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, second
harmonic generation microscopy, and laser scanning confocal arthroscopy, in the
measurement of multilayer ultra-structures of articular cartilage. This review also
provides an overview for micro-structural analysis of the main components of normal
or osteoarthritic cartilage and discusses the potential and challenges associated
with developing non-invasive high-resolution imaging techniques for both research and
clinical diagnosis of early to late osteoarthritis.
The invasion of cancer cells into surrounding tissue and the vasculature is essential for tumor metastasis. Increasing evidence indicates that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induces cancer cell migration and invasion. A broad spectrum of mechanisms underlies cancer cell migration and invasion. Cytoskeletal reorganization is of central importance in the development of the phenotype of cancer cells with invasive behavior. Through their roles in cell mechanics, intracellular trafficking, and signaling, cytoskeleton proteins participate in all essential events leading to cell migration. HGF has been involved in cytoskeleton assembly and reorganization, and its role in regulating cytoskeleton dynamics is still expanding. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of HGF in regulating cytoskeleton remodeling, distribution, and interactions.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and disabling joint disorder that is mainly characterized by cartilage degeneration and narrow joint spaces. The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in promoting the development of OA has gained much attention. Targeting endogenous molecules to improve mitochondrial function is a potential treatment for OA. Moreover, research on exogenous drugs to improve mitochondrial function in OA based on endogenous molecular targets has been accomplished. In addition, stem cells and exosomes have been deeply researched in the context of cartilage regeneration, and these factors both reverse mitochondrial dysfunctions. Thus, we hypothesize that biomedical approaches will be applied to the treatment of OA. Furthermore, we have summarized the global status of mitochondria and osteoarthritis research in the past two decades, which will contribute to the research field and the development of novel treatment strategies for OA.
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