Animal Models of Arthritis

Dear Colleagues,

There are more than 100 different conditions that affect the joints and surrounding tissues, with the most prevalent being osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to the WHO data, in 2019, about 528 million people worldwide were living with osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, and 18 million with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic autoimmune disease. More than a half of those affected are older than 55 years and about 2/3 are women. These diseases are chronic and, if untreated, can lead to the severe damage of affected structures, causing impairment of life quality and, particularly for RA, higher mortality. Research on the pathophysiology of these diseases and their treatment is greatly facilitated by animal models.

Animal models of these diseases are useful tools for studying and understanding the pathophysiology of these diseases and their underlying mechanisms. These valuable data can help in the selection of potential molecular targets and pathogenic pathways for therapy, and biomarkers that will facilitate the early diagnosis and prognosis of these diseases. It should be noted that different animal models were developed for RA and OA, each with specificities in terms of the pathogenic mechanisms that are triggered. This could be significant, especially for RA, so that different models represent different subtypes of diseases. The models are also valuable in preclinical studies to evaluate potential preventive and therapeutic agents, both currently used and ones in development, and predict toxicities related to the dosing and/or duration of treatment.

This Special Issue aims to collect comprehensive manuscripts, both original research articles and reviews, dedicated to widely used animal models of arthritis, their pros and cons, and their correlation with human disease. Furthermore, investigations of the effects of particular treatments tested in models of arthritis are within the scope of this issue. Research areas include, but are not limited to, animal models of RA and OA. Results obtained using animal models for other diseases that affect joints (e.g., spondylarthritis, gout) are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Nevena Arsenović-Ranin
Prof. Dr. Biljana Bufan
Guest Editors

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• animal models
• rheumatoid arthritis
• osteoarthritis
• inflammation
• immunopathology
• pathological features
• joints
• treatment
• drug screening
• traditional medicine