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Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms

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Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent chronic joint disease, increases in prevalence with age, and affects majority of individuals over the age of 65 and is a leading musculoskeletal cause of impaired mobility in the elderly. Because the precise molecular mechanisms which are involved in the degradation of cartilage matrix and development of OA are poorly understood and there are currently no effective interventions to decelerate the progression of OA or retard the irreversible degradation of cartilage except for total joint replacement surgery. In this paper, the important molecular mechanisms related to OA pathogenesis will be summarized and new insights into potential molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of OA will be provided.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81202710), Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (Grant Nos. 2011R50022-01, 2012C13017-2), supported by the Program for Zhejiang Leading Team of S&T Innovation, supported by Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, supported by Zhejiang Chinese Medical University.

Conflict of Interest

Bingjiang Xia, Di Chen, Jushi Zhang, Songfeng Hu, Hongting Jin, and Peijian Tong do not have a commercial interest, financial interest, and/or other relationship with manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, laboratory supplies, and/or medical devices or with commercial providers of medically related services.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shaoxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China

    Bingjiang Xia, Jushi Zhang & Songfeng Hu

  2. Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China

    Bingjiang Xia,  Di Chen, Jushi Zhang, Songfeng Hu, Hongting Jin & Peijian Tong

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Di Chen

  4. Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China

    Hongting Jin & Peijian Tong

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  1. Bingjiang Xia
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Correspondence to Peijian Tong.

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Xia, B., Di Chen, Zhang, J. et al. Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms. Calcif Tissue Int 95, 495–505 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-014-9917-9

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