Molecular Studies of Cartilage Deformation
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editor
Interests: articular cartilage; chondrocytes; polychondritis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint degenerative disease caused by the degeneration and wear of articular cartilage, secondary synovitis, and new bone proliferation. Activities of daily living and physical ability decline with age. Extrinsic stresses to articular cartilage tissue, such as obesity, weight bearing, inflammation, genomic instability, and excessive mechanical stress on joints, are known to cause degeneration and dysfunction of articular cartilage tissue, such as decreased chondrocyte activity and degeneration or destruction of the cartilage matrix, and are involved in the onset and pathology of OA. However, much remains unknown about how chondrocytes respond to OA-related extrinsic stresses (stress-sensing and response mechanisms), the existence of defense mechanisms, and the relationship between cartilage degeneration mechanisms and stress responses. To develop effective preventive and therapeutic methods, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms by which cells sense and respond to several stresses that are deeply involved in the etiology and pathology of articular cartilage degeneration.
Cellular responses to physiological and pathological stresses may differ among the cell populations that constitute the joint, particularly osteocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes in bone and joint tissues. This remains an important issue requiring further investigation. As noted above, many aspects remain to be clarified regarding how bone- and cartilage-forming cells sense and respond to stress (stress-sensing and response factors), whether defense reactions and mechanisms exist against pathological OA-related factors/stresses, and how stress sensing and response mechanisms relate to bone and cartilage degeneration. Clarifying these issues is expected to provide insights that support the development of new therapeutic strategies.
This Special Issue of IJMS provides a platform for high-quality publications exploring novel insights on cartilage deformation and/or presenting new molecular and conceptual approaches for the manipulation of chondrogenesis, cartilage degeneration and repair, and cartilage homeostasis. It aims to present a representative overview of the latest advances in bone and cartilage research and to serve as a roadmap for future developments in the OA field.
We are pleased to invite you to submit your original research and review articles that explore the diverse aspects of this critical topic.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Kazuo Yudoh
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- osteoarthritis
- chondrocyte
- mitochondria function
- mechanical stress
- oxidative stress
- cartilage metabolism
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