title: Prospects for disease modification in osteoarthritis.
abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) can be a progressive, disabling disease, leading to diminished quality of life, and, for over 500,000 individuals annually in the US, total joint replacement. The etiology of OA will vary among individuals, with potential roles for systemic factors (such as genetics and obesity) as well as for local biomechanical factors (such as muscle weakness, joint laxity and traumatic injury). Joint deterioration occurs over extended periods of time, and the diverse molecular mechanisms that mediate pathogenic events of early, mid and late disease are not yet fully understood. The success of biologic therapies in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has demonstrated that the blockade of a single dominant cytokine or regulatory molecule can prevent cartilage destruction in a complex disease, and has raised expectations that mechanism-based treatments could also be developed for patients with OA. In this review, we will address the biological mechanisms that mediate structural damage in OA and examine current targets that are candidates for disease modification. The challenges to drug development and the obstacles to disease modification strategies will also be addressed.
authors.affiliation: New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Abramson
authors.forename: Mukundan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Attur
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazici
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents