The Role of Changes in Extracellular Matrix of Cartilage in the Presence of Inflammation on the Pathology of Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that affects various tissues surrounding joints such as articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and ligaments. No therapy is currently available to completely prevent the initiation or progression of the disease partly due to poor understanding of the mechanisms of the disease pathology. Cartilage is the main tissue afflicted by OA, and chondrocytes, the sole cellular component in the tissue, actively participate in the degeneration process. Multiple factors affect the development and progression of OA including inflammation that is sustained during the progression of the disease and alteration in biomechanical conditions due to wear and tear or trauma in cartilage. During the progression of OA, extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage is actively remodeled by chondrocytes under inflammatory conditions. This alteration of ECM, in turn, changes the biomechanical environment of chondrocytes, which further drives the progression of the disease in the presence of inflammation. The changes in ECM composition and structure also prevent participation of mesenchymal stem cells in the repair process by inhibiting their chondrogenic differentiation. This review focuses on how inflammation-induced ECM remodeling disturbs cellular activities to prevent self-regeneration of cartilage in the pathology of OA.

Changes in Synovial Fluid Inflammatory Mediators and Cartilage Biomarkers After Experimental Acute Equine Synovitis

“…Changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of articular cartilage during the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) can be attributed to multiple factors. Among them, inflammation plays an active role, affecting both the quantity and quality of ECMs (12). The factors that contribute to the catabolic processes in OA include interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and various associated cytokines.…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Proteoglycan Degeneration in a Rat Model of Osteoarthritis

“…This condition, thus promotes the progression of disease. In this disease, many inflammatory factors, such as cytokines and proteases change the quality of ECM (18). The changes in ECM component can prevent the differentiation of MSCs to chondrocytes (19).…”

Intrinsic fluorescence and mechanical testing of articular cartilage in human patients with osteoarthritis

“…All these compounds are essential to maintain the structure and unique biomechanical properties of articular cartilage [1][2][3]. However, with aging, a series of biochemical reactions alter the composition of the ECM [4,5]. These extracellular changes lead to the degeneration of articular cartilage, causing pain and disability as part of the disease commonly known as osteoarthritis (OA) [4,6].…”