Investigation of new therapeutic approaches for preventing osteoarthritis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25893133
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAYAMA KOJI 神戸大学, 医学部附属病院, 医員 (80546490)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 軟骨変性 / ラパマイシン / オートファジー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The local intra-articular injection of rapamycin significantly delayed articular cartilage degradation at 8 and 12 weeks after destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery. A reduction in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) expression and the activation of an autophagy marker: light chain 3 (LC3) in the chondrocytes was observed in the rapamycin treated mice. Rapamycin treatment also decreased matrix metallopeptidase 13 (MMP13) expressions at 8 and 12 weeks after DMM surgery.
Local intra-articular injection of rapamycin may represent a strategy to prevent the development of articular cartilage damage. Further studies that explore mTOR inhibition will provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis and could lead to the establishment of new therapeutic approaches for slowing down the progression, or preventing osteoarthritis.

Free Research Field

整形外科学