Extracellular matrix and pathogenic mechanisms in osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous condition of joint degeneration characterized by structural changes in extracellular matrices such as subchondral bone and cartilage. Research has identified many diverse ways of initiating OA, varying from mechanical disruption to gene mutations in structural proteins. A frequent end point is cartilage loss, which can occur irrespective of the initiating mechanism. Of the mechanisms responsible for...