Chondroitin sulphate: a focus on osteoarthritis

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) being a natural glycosaminoglycan is found in the cartilage and extracellular matrix. It shows clinical benefits in symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the finger, knee, hip joints, low back, facial joints and other diseases due to its anti-inflammatory activity. It also helps in OA by providing resistance to compression, maintaining the structural integrity, homeostasis, slows breakdown and reduces pain in sore muscles. It is most often used in combination with glucosamine to treat OA. CS is a key role player in the regulation of cell development, cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Its commercial applications have been continuously explored in the engineering of biological tissues and its combination with other biopolymers to formulate scaffolds which promote and accelerate the regeneration of damaged structure. It is approved in the USA as a dietary supplement for OA, while it is used as a symptomatic slow-acting drug (SYSADOA) in Europe and some other countries. Any significant side effects or overdoses of CS have not been reported in clinical trials suggesting its long-term safety. This review highlights the potential of CS, either alone or in combination with other drugs, to attract the scientists engaged in OA treatment and management across the world.

CXCL9-Derived Peptides Differentially Inhibit Neutrophil Migration In Vivo through Interference with Glycosaminoglycan Interactions

“…In contrast, CXCL9(86-103) was not able to inhibit the interaction between CXCL1 and HS. Since CS is generally found in connective tissues, such as cartilage, skin, tendons, and ligaments (53, 54), the ability of CXCL9 peptides to compete with CXCL1 for binding to CS was evaluated also. Again, three times more CXCL9(74-93) than CXCL9(74-103) was needed to achieve the same reduction of CXCL1 binding to CS (Figure 6B).…”

Efficacy of Chondroitin Sulfate for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis: A One-Year, Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter Clinical Study in Japan

“…In joint tissues affected by OA, CS has been shown to modify the chondrocyte death process 17,18) and promote subchondral bone homeostasis, 19) partly by reducing some proinflammatory and catabolic factors, such as nuclear-factor κB, and increasing anabolic factors. [20][21][22] The study by Morreale et al shows that oral CS needs to be administered for longer than diclofenac to produce a substantial reduction in the pain of knee OA, but that the effects of CS persist beyond treatment. 23) Given that repeated treatment is needed for benefits to appear with oral CS therapy in OA, it is considered a slow-acting drug.…”

Detection of a Non-animal Source of Glycosaminoglycans from Edible Mushrooms in Northern Thailand

“…These GAGs have distinct biological functions; for instance, heparan sulfate plays an essential role as co-receptors for various receptor tyrosine kinases (Miserocchi et al, 2001), while chondroitin sulfate can prevent and maintain the structural-functional activity of cartilage during inflammation (Takagaki et al, 2002;Raman et al, 2005). In addition, chondroitin sulfate, as nutraceuticals or prescribed drugs in combination with glucosamine (GlcN) sulfate, has been increasingly employed to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis and osteoarthrosis (Bishnoi et al, 2016). These pharmaceutical preparations of chondroitin sulfate are usually obtained from animal parts, such as shark or bovine trachea cartilage (Garnjanagoonchorn et al, 2007).…”