Osteoarthritis is a common joint disease for which there are currently no disease-modifying
drugs available. Degradation of the cartilage extracellular matrix is a central feature of the …

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of nine or more highly homologous Zn++
endopeptidases that collectively cleave most if not all of the constituents of the extracellular …

Introduction 3. Cartilage in health and disease 4. Connective tissue degradation in arthritis
5. MMPs and cartilage degradation 6. Regulation of MMP gene expression in arthritis 7 …

Perlecan is a modular heparan sulfate proteoglycan that is localized to cell surfaces and
within basement membranes. Its ability to interact with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) …

We purified, cloned, and expressed aggrecanase, a protease that is thought to be
responsible for the degradation of cartilage aggrecan in arthritic diseases. Aggrecanase-1 [a …

The loss of extracellular matrix macromolecules from the cartilage results in serious
impairment of joint function. Metalloproteinases called'aggrecanases' that cleave the Glu …

The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)/matrixin family has been implicated in both normal
tissue remodeling and a variety of diseases associated with abnormal turnover of …

Objective Osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage destruction depends on collagen‐and aggrecan‐
degrading proteases such as collagenases (MMP‐1 and MMP‐13), stromelysin (MMP‐3) …

To examine the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and aggrecanase in control
and diseased human articular cartilage, metabolic fragments of aggrecan were detected …

Degradation of the large cartilage proteoglycan aggrecan in arthritis involves an unidentified
enzyme aggrecanase, and at least one of the matrix metalloproteinases. Proteinase …