Comparative Analysis of the Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Secreted by Aged and Young Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease, burdens global healthcare due to aging and obesity. Recent studies show that extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) contribute to joint homeostasis and OA management. However, the impact of donor age on BMSC-derived EV efficacy remains underexplored.

A novel tape-free sample preparation method for human osteochondral cryosections for high throughput hyperspectral imaging.

Understanding the osteochondral junction, where non-mineralised cartilage and mineralised bone converge, is crucial for joint health. Current sample preparation techniques are insufficient for detailed spatial hyperspectral imaging analysis. Using the enhanced Kawamoto method, we used the super cryo embedding medium's temperature-dependent properties to transfer high-quality tissue samples onto slides for spatial imaging analysis.

Effects of iron overload in human joint tissue explant cultures and animal models.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease affecting over 530 million individuals worldwide. Recent studies suggest a potential link between iron overload, a condition characterised by the excessive accumulation of iron in the body, and the onset of OA. Iron is essential for various biological processes, and any disruption in its homeostasis can trigger significant health effects, including OA.

From polarity to pathology: Decoding the role of cell orientation in osteoarthritis.

Unlabelled: Cell polarity refers to the orientation of tissue and organelles within a cell and the direction of its function. It is one of the most critical characteristics of metazoans. The development, growth, and functional tissue distribution are closely related to holistic tissue or organ homeostasis.

Spatial analysis of the osteoarthritis microenvironment: techniques, insights, and applications.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating degenerative disease affecting multiple joint tissues, including cartilage, bone, synovium, and adipose tissues. OA presents diverse clinical phenotypes and distinct molecular endotypes, including inflammatory, metabolic, mechanical, genetic, and synovial variants. Consequently, innovative technologies are needed to support the development of effective diagnostic and precision therapeutic approaches.

The efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in treating osteoarthritis with an inflammatory phenotype: A 5-year follow up retrospective study.

Background: We aimed to explore whether platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can delay and reduce the incidence of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and improve clinical symptoms in patients with inflammatory phenotype knee osteoarthritis (I-KOA).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study with a 5-year follow up. We selected patients with I-KOA based on typical magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Spatial distribution of elements during osteoarthritis disease progression using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy.

The osteochondral interface is a thin layer that connects hyaline cartilage to subchondral bone. Subcellular elemental distribution can be visualised using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (SR-XFM) (1 μm). This study aims to determine the relationship between elemental distribution and osteoarthritis (OA) progression based on disease severity.

Inhibition of Leukotriene A Hydrolase Suppressed Cartilage Degradation and Synovial Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Experimental Osteoarthritis.

Objective: Chronic inflammation plays an important role in the osteoarthritis (OA) pathology but how this influence OA disease progression is unclear. Leukotriene B4 (LTB) is a potent proinflammatory lipid mediator generated from arachidonic acid through the sequential activities of 5-lipoxygenase, 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein, Leukotriene A hydrolase (LTAH) and its downstream product LTB. The aim of this study is to investigate the involvement and the potential therapeutic target of the LTB pathway in OA disease progression.

Controlling Microenvironments with Organs-on-Chips for Osteoarthritis Modelling.

Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a prevalent disease affecting more than 20% of the global population, resulting in morbidity and lower quality of life for patients. The study of OA pathophysiology remains predominantly in animal models due to the complexities of mimicking the physiological environment surrounding the joint tissue. Recent development in microfluidic organ-on-chip (OoC) systems have demonstrated various techniques to mimic and modulate tissue physiological environments.

Association of metformin use with fracture risk in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Aims: Increasing evidence suggests that metformin can affect bone metabolism beyond its hypoglycemic effects in diabetic patients. However, the effects of metformin on fracture risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients remain unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in this study to evaluate the association between metformin application and fracture risk in T2DM patients based on previous studies published until June 2021.

Obesity, Inflammation, and Immune System in Osteoarthritis.

Obesity remains the most important risk factor for the incidence and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). The leading cause of OA was believed to be overloading the joints due to excess weight which in turn leads to the destruction of articular cartilage. However, recent studies have proved otherwise, various other factors like adipose deposition, insulin resistance, and especially the improper coordination of innate and adaptive immune responses may lead to the initiation and progression of obesity-associated OA.

Knee Osteoarthritis Therapy: Recent Advances in Intra-Articular Drug Delivery Systems.

Drug delivery for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment is a continuous challenge because of their poor bioavailability and rapid clearance in joints. Intra-articular (IA) drug delivery is a common strategy and its therapeutic effects depend mainly on the efficacy of the drug-delivery system used for OA therapy. Different types of IA drug-delivery systems, such as microspheres, nanoparticles, and hydrogels, have been rapidly developed over the past decade to improve their therapeutic effects.

Biphasic Effect of Pirfenidone on Angiogenesis.

Pirfenidone (PFD), a synthetic arsenic compound, has been found to inhibit angiogenesis at high concentrations. However, the biphasic effects of different PFD concentrations on angiogenesis have not yet been elucidated, and the present study used an model to explore the mechanisms underlying this biphasic response. The effect of PFD on the initial angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells was investigated through a Matrigel tube formation assay, and the impact of PFD on endothelial cell migration was evaluated through scratch and transwell migration experiments.

Microbial-Derived Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Based Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: Biosynthesis, Properties, and Perspectives.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of structurally diverse natural biopolyesters, synthesized by various microbes under unbalanced culture conditions. PHAs as biomedical materials have been fabricated in various forms to apply to tissue engineering for the past years due to their excellent biodegradability, inherent biocompatibility, modifiable mechanical properties, and thermo-processability. However, there remain some bottlenecks in terms of PHA production on a large scale, the purification process, mechanical properties, and biodegradability of PHA, which need to be further resolved.

A Three-Dimensional Co-Culture Model for Rheumatoid Arthritis Pannus Tissue.

Three-dimensional (3D) co-culture models have closer physiological cell composition and behavior than traditional 2D culture. They exhibit pharmacological effects like responses, and therefore serve as a high-throughput drug screening model to evaluate drug efficacy and safety . In this study, we created a 3D co-culture environment to mimic pathological characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pannus tissue.

Effects of Diet Induced Weight Reduction on Cartilage Pathology and Inflammatory Mediators in the Joint Tissues.

Obesogenic diets contribute to the pathology of osteoarthritis (OA) by altering systemic and local metabolic inflammation. Yet, it remains unclear how quickly and reproducibly the body responds to weight loss strategies and improve OA. In this study we tested whether switching obese diet to a normal chow diet can mitigate the detrimental effects of inflammatory pathways that contribute to OA pathology.

Repurposing of Pirfenidone (Anti-Pulmonary Fibrosis Drug) for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Clinical studies have shown that pirfenidone (PFD) effectively relieves joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the anti-RA effects of PFD have not been investigated. This study was undertaken to investigate the repurposing of PFD for the treatment of RA, and explore its anti-rheumatic mechanisms.

Cartilage tissue engineering for obesity-induced osteoarthritis: Physiology, challenges, and future prospects.

Unlabelled: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial joint disease with pathological changes that affect whole joint tissue. Obesity is acknowledged as the most influential risk factor for both the initiation and progression of OA in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing joints. Obesity-induced OA is a newly defined phenotypic group in which chronic low-grade inflammation has a central role.

Exosomes Extraction and Identification.

Exosomes are small endosome-derived lipid nanoparticles (50-120 nm in diameter), actively secreted by exocytosis in most living cells. Recently, there is a growing interest of research focused on studying the exosome functions and to understand ways to use them for therapeutic applications in a wide variety of disorders, such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and musculoskeletal diseases. Recently, a number of techniques have been developed for the isolation of exosomes such as ultracentrifugation, micro-filtration centrifugation, gradient centrifugation, and size-exclusion chromatography.

Application of Metabolomics to Osteoarthritis: from Basic Science to the Clinical Approach.

Purpose Of The Review: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial and progressive disease affecting whole synovial joint. The extract pathogenic mechanisms and diagnostic biomarkers of OA remain unclear. In this article, we review the studies related to metabolomics of OA, discuss the biomarkers as a tool for early OA diagnosis.

Pro-resolving lipid mediator ameliorates obesity induced osteoarthritis by regulating synovial macrophage polarisation.

Non-resolved persistent macrophage-mediated synovial inflammation is considered as one of the main drivers of both the establishment and progression of obesity-associated osteoarthritis (OA). Herein, we used clodronate-loaded liposomes (CL) to locally deplete macrophages in the synovial joints to examine the role of macrophages in the progression of obesity-induced OA. Furthermore, resolvin D1 (RvD1), a unique family of pro-resolving lipid mediator derived from the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, have shown marked potency in changing the pro-inflammatory behaviour of the macrophages.

Obesity-associated metabolic syndrome spontaneously induces infiltration of pro-inflammatory macrophage in synovium and promotes osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Epidemiological and experimental studies have established obesity to be an important risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), however, the mechanisms underlying this link remains largely unknown. Here, we studied local inflammatory responses in metabolic-OA.

Methods: Wistar rats were fed with control diet (CD) and high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (HCHF) for period of 8 and 16 weeks.

Is Synovial Macrophage Activation the Inflammatory Link Between Obesity and Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disease, affecting nearly 25 % of the world population (WHO reports), leading to pain and disability. There are as yet no clinically proven therapies to halt OA onset or progression; the development of such therapies is, therefore, a national as well as international research priority. Obesity-related metabolic syndrome has been identified as the most significant, but also an entirely preventable risk factor for OA; however, the mechanisms underlying this link remain unclear.