title: The research arena of this symposium and an outlook for future treatment of osteoarthritis.
abstract: Attention of researchers in the field of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis is being focused on pathways of enzymic degradation and their control. Whereas, it is unlikely that a precise cascade as in the complement and clotting systems will be found, a more loosely knit cascade is evolving in terms of mediators, activators, and inhibitors of enzymes, which degradate matrix stroma. Structural changes in the proteoglycans are becoming clearly obvious with newer technologies, which can be visualized with extended path ultracentrifugation techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA-Medical Center, Miami, FL.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Howell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000201:enzymology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases