title: Recent developments in emerging therapeutic targets of osteoarthritis.
abstract: Despite the tremendous individual suffering and socioeconomic burden caused by osteoarthritis, there are currently no effective disease-modifying treatment options. This is in part because of our incomplete understanding of osteoarthritis disease mechanism. This review summarizes recent developments in therapeutic targets identified from surgical animal models of osteoarthritis that provide novel insight into osteoarthritis pathology and possess potential for progression into preclinical studies.
  
  
  
  Several candidate pathways and processes that have been identified include chondrocyte autophagy, growth factor signaling, inflammation, and nociceptive signaling. Major strategies that possess therapeutic potential at the cellular level include inhibiting autophagy suppression and decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Cartilage anabolism and prevention of cartilage degradation has been shown to result from growth factor signaling modulation, such as TGF-β, TGF-α, and FGF; however, the results are context-dependent and require further investigation. Pain assessment studies in rodent surgical models have demonstrated potential in employing anti-NGF strategies for minimizing osteoarthritis-associated pain.
  
  
  
  Studies of potential therapeutic targets in osteoarthritis using animal surgical models are helping to elucidate osteoarthritis pathology and propel therapeutics development. Further studies should continue to elucidate pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets in various joint tissues to improve overall joint health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret Man-Ger
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beier
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pest
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta