International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Dear Colleagues，

Arthritis has a high prevalence globally and includes over 100 types, the most common of which are rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis. All types of arthritis share common features of disease, including monocyte infiltration, inflammation, synovial swelling, pannus formation, stiffness in the joints and articular cartilage destruction. The exact etiology of arthritis remains unclear, and no cure exists as of yet. Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs and corticosteroids) are commonly used in the treatment of arthritis. However, these drugs are associated with significant side effects, such as gastric bleeding and an increased risk for heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. It is therefore crucial that we continue to research the pathogenesis of arthritis and seek to discover novel modes of therapy. We invite researchers to submit original research and review articles covering significant developments in the pathogenesis of arthritis, as well as novel medicines or strategies that hold promise in the prevention and/or treatment of this disease. In particular, we welcome research covering novel signaling pathways, signaling molecules, inflammatory cytokines, or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Prof. Dr. Chih-Hsin Tang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

arthritis
treatment
molecular mechanisms
inflammatory cytokines
prevention

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 10761 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Bioactive Fibrin Formulation Provided Superior Cartilage Regeneration in a Caprine Model

by Elif Vardar, Hui Yin Nam, Ganesh Vythilingam, Han Ling Tan, Haryanti Azura Mohamad Wali, Eva-Maria Engelhardt, Tunku Kamarul, Pierre-Yves Zambelli and Eleftheria Samara

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(23), 16945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242316945 - 29 Nov 2023

Viewed by 738

Abstract

The effective and long-term treatment of cartilage defects is an unmet need among patients worldwide. In the past, several synthetic and natural biomaterials have been designed to support functional articular cartilage formation. However, they have mostly failed to enhance the terminal stage of chondrogenic differentiation, leading to scar tissue formation after the operation. Growth factors substantially regulate cartilage regeneration by acting on receptors to trigger intracellular signaling and cell recruitment for tissue regeneration. In this study, we investigated the effect of recombinant insulin-like growth factor 1 (rIGF-1), loaded in fibrin microbeads (FibIGF1), on cartilage regeneration. rIGF-1-loaded fibrin microbeads were injected into full-thickness cartilage defects in the knees of goats. The stability, integration, and quality of tissue repair were evaluated at 1 and 6 months by gross morphology, histology, and collagen type II staining. The in vivo results showed that compared to plain fibrin samples, particularly at 6 months, FibIGF1 improved the functional cartilage formation, confirmed through gross morphology, histology, and collagen type II immunostaining. FibIGF1 could be a promising candidate for cartilage repair in the clinic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research of Pathogenesis and Novel Therapeutics in Arthritis 4.0)

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Review

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13 pages, 573 KiB

Open AccessReview

Regenerative Therapies for Basal Thumb Arthritis—A Systematic Review

by Sophie Hasiba-Pappas, Lars-P. Kamolz, Hanna Luze, Sebastian P. Nischwitz, David B. Lumenta and Raimund Winter

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14909; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914909 - 05 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1435

Abstract

Basal thumb arthritis is a painful and debilitating pathology that can severely reduce a patients’ quality of life. Common therapies include oral pain control, local steroid injections and/or surgery. Yet, therapeutic data on long-term improvement and even cartilage repair are scarce. This review aims to present the currently available literature on novel therapies for basal thumb arthritis, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), fat grafting and phototherapy, and investigate their potential efficacy. The entire OVID database and PubMed were searched for studies containing the topics PRP injection, lipofilling, laser treatment and regenerative treatment for carpometacarpal arthritis. Seven studies on the effect of fat tissue on basal thumb arthritis were found. Four authors reported on PRP injections, one RCT examined a combinational treatment of PRP and fat grafting, another phototherapy for the thumb joint and one prospective trial on chondrocyte transplantation was found. Pain improvement and decreased impairment were reported in the majority of PRP and/or fat grafting studies as well as after chondrocyte implantation. Phototherapy did not significantly improve the condition. This review revealed that only limited data on regenerative therapies for carpometacarpal arthritis are currently available, yet PRP and lipofilling show promising results and merit further investigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research of Pathogenesis and Novel Therapeutics in Arthritis 4.0)

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