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From biochemical markers to molecular endotypes of osteoarthritis: a review on validated biomarkers
Monica T Hannani1,2, Christian S Thudium1, Morten A Karsdal1
1ImmunoScience, Nordic Bioscience A/S, Herlev, Denmark.
Introduction:
Osteoarthritis (OA) affects over 500 million people worldwide. OA patients are symptomatically treated, and current therapies exhibit marginal efficacy and frequently carry safety-risks associated with chronic use. No disease-modifying therapies have been approved to date leaving surgical joint replacement as a last resort. To enable effective patient care and successful drug development there is an urgent need to uncover the pathobiological drivers of OA and how these translate into disease endotypes. Endotypes provide a more precise and mechanistic definition of disease subgroups than observable phenotypes, and a panel of tissue- and pathology-specific biochemical markers may uncover treatable endotypes of OA.
Areas Covered:
We have searched PubMed for full-text articles written in English to provide an in-depth narrative review of a panel of validated biochemical markers utilized for endotyping of OA and their association to key OA pathologies.
Expert Opinion:
As utilized in IMI-APPROACH and validated in OAI-FNIH, a panel of biochemical markers may uncover disease subgroups and facilitate the enrichment of treatable molecular endotypes for recruitment in therapeutic clinical trials. Understanding the link between biochemical markers and patient-reported outcomes and treatable endotypes that may respond to given therapies will pave the way for new drug development in OA.
Insights
Identifying specific biochemical markers can reveal osteoarthritis (OA) endotypes, paving the way for targeted therapies and improved drug development for this widespread joint disease.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pathobiology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) affects over 500 million people globally, with current treatments offering limited efficacy and potential safety concerns.
- Existing therapies for OA primarily manage symptoms, and no disease-modifying treatments are currently approved, making joint replacement surgery a final option.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review validated biochemical markers for endotyping osteoarthritis (OA) and their correlation with key OA pathologies.
- To highlight the potential of biochemical markers in identifying treatable OA endotypes for clinical trial enrichment and new drug development.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search of PubMed was conducted for full-text English articles.
- The review focused on validated biochemical markers used in OA endotyping and their association with disease pathologies.
Main Results:
- A panel of biochemical markers, as utilized in IMI-APPROACH and validated in OAI-FNIH, can identify distinct OA disease subgroups.
- These markers aid in enriching clinical trials with patients belonging to treatable molecular endotypes.
Conclusions:
- Biochemical markers are crucial for defining OA endotypes, offering a more precise approach than observable phenotypes.
- Linking biochemical markers to patient outcomes and treatable endotypes is essential for advancing OA drug development.
