Molecular response of cartilage to injury
May 9, 2008 | Source: KurzweilAI
An international team led by scientists at the Arthritis Research Campaign has profiled how injuries change gene expression in cartilage cells.
They used microarray technology, PCR, and immunohistochemistry to compare gene expression in injured and uninjured cartilage. They found 690 genes whose expression was increased or decreased at least 2-fold in injured cartilage compared with uninjured samples.
The may lead to finding out why injuries to joint cartilage increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis (worn down cartilage) and find which of these 690 genes (and their products) promotes repair or causes additional damage.
Over 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis, with half of adults over 65 showing signs of it in one or more joints.
