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From a morphological point of view, osteoarthritis is characterized by continuous loss of the cartilage matrix, an increased density of the subchondral bone, and partial involvement of the synovial compartment. Research activities are focussing on gene expression and gene regulation in normal and osteoarthritic cartilage to develop prognostic markers and new therapeutic strategies. In general, chondrocytes from normal adult articular cartilage show low metabolic activity. However in osteoarthritis, activation and differentiation of chondrocytes occur. Activation involves anabolic pathways such as an enhanced expression of type II collagen as well as catabolic patterns such as the increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases. These metabolic pathways are unbalanced, leading to insufficient cartilage architecture, unable to meet the requirements for mechanical stability and load compensation. In osteoarthritis, chondrocyte differentiation is characterized by the expression of type X collagen. Further differentiation stages have been observed as shown for the expression of osteocalcin, osteopontin, or alkaline phosphatase in articular cartilage. This altered expression pattern of chondrocytes is likely to influence the biochemical and biomechanical properties of the cartilage matrix. In conclusion, new analytic and comparative methods to analyze gene and protein expression offer powerful tools to elucidate candidate genes in osteoarthritis. Detailed information on the regulatory pathways will be the basis for modulation of chondrocyte behavior and, therefore, may lead to new therapeutic approaches in the treatment of osteoarthritis. |
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