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A 3D System for Culturing Human Articular Chondrocytes in Synovial Fluid
Published on: January 31, 2012
Dual Role of Chondrocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Chicken and the Egg
Chia-Chun Tseng1,2, Yi-Jen Chen1,3,4, Wei-An Chang1,4,5
1Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the inflammatory joint diseases that display features of articular cartilage destruction. The underlying disturbance results from immune dysregulation that directly and indirectly influence chondrocyte physiology. In the last years, significant evidence inferred from studies in vitro and in the animal model offered a more holistic vision of chondrocytes in RA. Chondrocytes, despite being one of injured cells in RA, also undergo molecular alterations to actively participate in inflammation and matrix destruction in the human rheumatoid joint. This review covers current knowledge about the specific cellular and biochemical mechanisms that account for the chondrocyte signatures of RA and its potential applications for diagnosis and prognosis in RA.
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