Preserving the longevity of long-lived type II collagen and its implication for cartilage therapeutics

Human life expectancy has been steadily increasing at a rapid rate, but this increasing life span also brings about increases in diseases, dementia, and disability. A global burden of disease 2010 study revealed that hip and knee osteoarthritis ranked the 11th highest in terms of years lived with disability. Wear and tear can greatly influence the quality of life during ageing. In particular, wear and tear of the articular cartilage have adverse effects on joints and result in osteoarthritis. The articular cartilage uses longevity of type II collagen as the foundation around which turnover of proteoglycans and the homeostatic activity of chondrocytes play central roles thereby maintaining the function of articular cartilage in the ageing. The longevity of type II collagen involves a complex interaction of the scaffolding needs of the cartilage and its biochemical, structural and mechanical characteristics. The covalent cross-linking of heterotypic polymers of collagens type II, type IX and type XI hold together cartilage, allowing it to withstand ageing stresses. Discerning the biological clues in the armamentarium for preserving cartilage appears to be collagen cross-linking. Therapeutic methods to crosslink in in-vivo are non-existent. However intra-articular injections of polyphenols in vivo stabilize the cartilage and make it resistant to degradation, opening a new therapeutic possibility for prevention and intervention of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis of aging.