Posttraumatic osteoarthritis(PTOA)patients are often diagnosed by X-ray imaging at a middle-late stage when drug interventions are less effective.Early PTOA is characterized by overexpressed matrix metalloprotease 13(MMP13).Herein,we constructed an integrated diagnosis and treatment micelle modified with MMP13 enzyme-detachable,cyanine 5(Cy5)-containing PEG,black hole quencher-3(BHQ3),and cRGD ligands and loaded with siRNA silencing MMP13(siM13),namely ERMs@siM13.ERMs@siM13 could be cleaved by MMP13 in the diseased cartilage tissues to detach the PEG shell,causing cRGD exposure.Accordingly,the ligand exposure promoted micelle uptake by the diseased chondrocytes by binding to cell surfaceαvβ3 integrin,increasing intracellular siM13 delivery for on-demand MMP13 downregulation.Meanwhile,the Cy5 fluorescence was restored by detaching from the BHQ3-containing micelle,precisely reflecting the diseased cartilage state.In particular,the intensity of Cy5 fluorescence generated by ERMs@siM13 that hinged on the MMP13 levels could reflect the PTOA severity,enabling the physicians to adjust the therapeutic regimen.Finally,in the murine PTOA model,ERMs@siM13 could diagnose the early-stage PTOA,perform timely interventions,and monitor the OA progression level during treatment through a real-time detection of MMP13.Therefore,ERMs@siM13 represents an appealing approach for early-stage PTOA theranostics.
Osteoarthritis(OA)is an aging-associated disease characterized by joint stiffness pain and destroyed articular cartilage.Traditional treatments for OA are limited to alleviating various OA symptoms.There is a lack of drugs available in clinical practice that can truly repair cartilage damage.Here,we developed the chondroitin sulfate analog CS-semi5,semi-synthesized from chondroitin sulfate A.In vivo,CS-semi5 alleviated inflammation,provided analgesic effects,and protected cartilage in the modified Hulth OA rat model and papain-induced OA rat model.A bioinformatics analysis was performed on samples from OA patients and an exosome analysis on papain-induced OA rats,revealing miR-122-5p as the key regulator associated with CS-semi5 in OA treatment.Binding prediction revealed that miR-122-5p acted on the 30-untranslated region of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase,which was related to MMP13 regulation.Subsequent in vitro experiments revealed that CS-semi5 effectively reduced cartilage degeneration and maintained matrix homeostasis by inhibiting matrix breakdown through the miR-122-5p/p38/MMP13 axis,which was further validated in the articular cartilage of OA rats.This is the first study to investigate the semi-synthesized chondroitin sulfate CS-semi5,revealing its cartilageprotecting,anti-inflammatory,and analgesic properties that show promising therapeutic effects in OA via the miR-122-5p/p38/MMP13 pathway.
Objective:Matrix metalloproteinase 13(MMP13)is an extracellular matrix protease that affects the progression of atherosclerotic plaques and arterial thrombi by degrading collagens,modifying protein structures and regulating inflammatory responses,but its role in deep vein thrombosis(DVT)has not been determined.The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of MMP13 and MMP13-related genes on the formation of DVT.Methods:We altered the expression level of MMP13 in vivo and conducted a transcriptome study to examine the expression and relationship between MMP13 and MMP13-related genes in a mouse model of DVT.After screening genes possibly related to MMP13 in DVT mice,the expression levels of candidate genes in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)and the venous wall were evaluated.The effect of MMP13 on platelet aggregation in HUVECs was investigated in vitro.Results:Among the differentially expressed genes,interleukin 1 beta,podoplanin(Pdpn),and factor VIII von Willebrand factor(F8VWF)were selected for analysis in mice.When MMP13 was inhibited,the expression level of PDPN decreased significantly in vitro.In HUVECs,overexpression of MMP13 led to an increase in the expression level of PDPN and induced platelet aggregation,while transfection of PDPN-siRNA weakened the ability of MMP13 to increase platelet aggregation.Conclusions:Inhibiting the expression of MMP13 could reduce the burden of DVT in mice.The mechanism involves downregulating the expression of Pdpn through MMP13,which could provide a novel gene target for DVT diagnosis and treatment.
Ji LUOJin ZHOUJing-zeng LUOHai-long WANGXue-ling ZHAORu-dan ZHOU
