The increase in global lifespan has in turn increased the prevalence of osteoarthritis which
is now the most common type of arthritis. Cartilage tissue located on articular joints erodes …

Microglia shape the synaptic environment in health and disease, but synapses do not exist
in a vacuum. Instead, pre-and postsynaptic terminals are surrounded by extracellular matrix …

Research into the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) has focused on cartilage and peri-
articular bone, but there is increasing recognition that OA affects all of the joint tissues …

▪ Abstract The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) constitute a multigene family of over 25
secreted and cell surface enzymes that process or degrade numerous pericellular …

Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease for which there are currently no disease-modifying
drugs available. Degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix is a central feature of the …

Introduction 3. Cartilage in health and disease 4. Connective tissue degradation in arthritis
5. MMPs and cartilage degradation 6. Regulation of MMP gene expression in arthritis 7 …

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life-threatening systemic illness of abrupt
onset and unknown cause. Proteolysis of the blood-clotting protein von Willebrand factor …

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Destruction of extracellular matrix (ECM) leads to intervertebral
disc degeneration (IDD), which underlies many spine-related disorders. Matrix …

Aggrecan is the major proteoglycan in the articular cartilage. This molecule is important in
the proper functioning of articular cartilage because it provides a hydrated gel structure (via …

Human osteoarthritis is a progressive disease of the joints characterized by degradation of
articular cartilage. Although disease initiation may be multifactorial, the cartilage destruction …