title: Oral treatment options for degenerative joint disease--presence and future.
abstract: Alleviation of pain and inhibition of inflammation are the primary goals of pharmacotherapy of osteoarthritis (OA). These therapeutic goals can almost always be accomplished by the use of analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). One of the main problems of NSAIDs is their gastrointestinal toxicity, for which a prophylactic medication should be considered particularly amongst risk groups. Recent studies have shown that COX-2-selective and maybe also non-selective NSAIDs increase the cardiovascular risk so that their application is getting now drastically restricted. Pharmacological results published until now suggest that a clinically relevant minor analgesic and/or anti-inflammatory effect can be attained with the use of some of the SYmptomatic Slow Acting Drugs in OA (SYSADOAs). However, no clinical studies exist, which can positively confirm prevention, slowing down or reversal of any advanced joint cartilage destruction by any individual medication. Disease modifying therapy is still in its infancy; discovery and development of novel therapeutic targets and agents are an extremely difficult task, currently challenging many pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions.
authors.affiliation: Clinic and Policlinic of Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg GmbH, Paul-Meimberg-Strasse 3, D-35385 Giessen, Germany. juergen.steinmeyer@ortho.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steinmeyer
authors.forename: Yrjö T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Konttinen
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy*; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D061965:Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases