background: previous studies have shown that galectin-3, a member of lectin family, is expressed in developing cartilage in mouse embryo and also in growth plate of long bones.   objective: in the present work, the expression pattern of galectin-3 in normal and various grades of osteoarthritic (oa) human articular cartilage has been studied.   methods: using immunohistochemistry and standard we...

background: while articular chondrocytes are among those appropriate candidates for cartilage regeneration, the cell dedifferentiation during monolayer culture has limited their application. several investigations have indicated the usefulness of alginate, but the topic of proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes in alginate culture has still remained controversial. methods: rat articu...

Background: Previous studies have shown that Galectin-3, a member of lectin family, is expressed in developing cartilage in mouse embryo and also in growth plate of long bones.   Objective: In the present work, the expression pattern of Galectin-3 in normal and various grades of osteoarthritic (OA) human articular cartilage has been studied.   Methods: Using immunohistochemistry and standard we...

Cartilage injury remains a challenge in orthopedic surgery as articular cartilage only has a limited capacity for intrinsic healing. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is a suitable technique for cartilage repair, but requires articular cartilage biopsies for autologous chondrocyte expansion. The use of heterotopic chondrocytes derived from non-articular cartilage sources such as auri...

background: recent studies have provided evidence that integrins play roles in recognition of mechanical stimuli and its translation into a cellular response. integrin signaling may be regulated by a number of mechanisms including accessory proteins such as cd98 (4f2 antigen). objectives: to determine cd98 expression by human articular chondrocytes and its involvement in human articular mechano...

The Integrin β1 family is the major receptors of the Extracellular matrix (ECM), and the synthesis and degradation balance of ECM is seriously disrupted during Osteoarthritis (OA). In this scenario, integrins modify their pattern expression and regulate chondrocyte differentiation in the articular cartilage. Members of the Transforming growth factor beta (Tgf-β) Superfamily, such as Growth diff...

Apoptosis is a highly-regulated, active process of cell death involved in development, homeostasis and aging. Dysregulation of apoptosis leads to pathological states, such as cancer, developmental anomalies and degenerative diseases. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common chronic joint disease in the elderly population, is characterized by progressive destruction of articular cartilage, resulting...

Osteoarthritis is a common debilitating joint disorder. Risk factors for osteoarthritis include age, which is associated with thinning of articular cartilage. Here we generate chondrocyte-specific salt-inducible kinase 3 (Sik3) conditional knockout mice that are resistant to osteoarthritis with thickened articular cartilage owing to a larger chondrocyte population. We also identify an edible Pt...

Background: Recent studies have provided evidence that integrins play roles in recognition of mechanical stimuli and its translation into a cellular response. Integrin signaling may be regulated by a number of mechanisms including accessory proteins such as CD98 (4F2 antigen). Objectives: To determine CD98 expression by human articular chondrocytes and its involvement in human articular mechano...