Local Blockade of CCL21 and CXCL13 Signaling as a New Strategy to Prevent and Treat Osteoarthritis
Abstract
Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis. It is characterized by progressive cartilage loss, with resultant joint pain that worsens over time. In the United States, about 27 million people live with osteoarthritis. Current treatments such as the use of anti-inflammatory medications also called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are used to control symptoms but have the potential to cause side effects such as irritation and ulceration of gastrointestinal mucosa. Furthermore, the long-term use of NSAIDs may cause suppression of platelet aggregation. The cortisones injections often help to control inflammation but could damage the connective tissue and reduce bone density. Thus, a need to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the development of the disease to help in developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Some cytokines or chemokines and their receptors are known to be induced during osteoarthritis development. However, their involvement in the pathogenesis of the disease is not yet well established. In this study, we proposed to analyze the role of two chemokines, CCL21 and CXCL13, in osteoarthritis development. A novel hypothesis will be tested that local blockade at the knee joint of the function of chemokines CCL21 and CXCL13 will reduce inflammatory cells recruitment and prevent osteoarthritis development. The results of this project will encourage the use of antibodies or chemokine antagonists whenever signs of cartilage damage appear to treat osteoarthritis development and avoid the complications caused by the disease and the current drugs. Because osteoarthritis is one of the major health problems in the Army that lead to Soldiers discharge, development of novel strategies to promote healing of injured joints will have a significant impact on the well-being of the military personnel as well as civilians.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 2016
- Source ID
- W81XWH1510231
Entities
People
- Bouchra Edderkaoui
Organizations
- Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center
- United States Army