Advances in matrix metalloproteinase 13 in cartilage remodeling and arthritis / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Arthritis is a common chronic disease characterized by the destruction of joint cartilage and inflammation in the sur-rounding tissues. Although it is known that the pathogenesis of arthritis is influenced by a series of factors, the underlying mechanisms remain unclarified. Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the increase of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in articular cartilage,resulting in an inevitable degra-dation of cartilage and extracellular matrix (ECM). MMP-13, the major functioning enzyme during arthritis development,plays a vital role in the cartilage destruction, thus contributing to the decomposition of type Ⅱ collagen irreversibly. A variety of cellu-lar cytokines such as IL-1β and TNF-α,and Runx2 are assumed to affect the expression of MMP-13 in chondrocytes. The hypom-ethylation of the promoter region of the MMP-13 may induce its expression, while it can be reduced by inhibiting histone acety-lation. Meanwhile, microRNA can reduce the expression of MMP-13. In conclusion, MMP-13 can be used as an important therapeutic target in arthritis. In this review, we focus on the role of MMP-13 in arthritis and its underlying regulatory mecha-nisms.