Researchers Show How OA Breaks Down Cartilage
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
Researchers have long suspected that the signaling protein beta-catenin plays a role in how osteoarthritis breaks down cartilage, but until now there has been no definitive research linking the protein to OA. A study from the University of Rochester Medical Center attempted to confirm how the presence of beta-catenin affects cartilage in a mouse model.
The study, published online in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, evaluates adult mice that were genetically engineered to have high levels of beta-catenin. These mice experienced a major loss of articular cartilage, in addition to developing bony growths and microfractures similar to those seen in human OA patients. Separately, the study's authors confirmed that high beta-catenin levels were present in human OA patients.
The researchers have other experiments underway aimed to better understand and broaden treatment options for OA. The authors are looking at how beta-catenin levels rise following an impetus such as a meniscal injury, as well as how beta-catenin signaling changes levels of BMP-2 and MMP-13 (collagenase-3) in articular cartilage cells.
