Mechanistic Insight Into the Roles of Integrins in Osteoarthritis

Hongfu Jin; Shigang Jiang; Ruomei Wang; Yi Zhang; Jiangtao Dong; Yusheng Li

doi:10.3389/fcell.2021.693484

Mechanistic Insight Into the Roles of Integrins in Osteoarthritis

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Jun 18:9:693484. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.693484. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Hongfu Jin^{1

2}, Shigang Jiang³, Ruomei Wang⁴, Yi Zhang^{1

2}, Jiangtao Dong³, Yusheng Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
² National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
³ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
⁴ Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA), one of the most common degenerative diseases, is characterized by progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone, as well as the synovium. Integrins, comprising a family of heterodimeric transmembrane proteins containing α subunit and β subunit, play essential roles in various physiological functions of cells, such as cell attachment, movement, growth, differentiation, and mechanical signal conduction. Previous studies have shown that integrin dysfunction is involved in OA pathogenesis. This review article focuses on the roles of integrins in OA, especially in OA cartilage, subchondral bone and the synovium. A clear understanding of these roles may influence the future development of treatments for OA.

Keywords: cartilage; integrin; mechanical signal conduction; osteoarthritis; subchondral bone; synovial membrane.

Publication types

Review