Measuring aggrecanase activity to identify potential therapeutics for osteoarthritis.
An increase in the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and aggrecanases contributes to the progression of osteoarthritis and the degradation of articular cartilage. Specifically, this degradation occurs at sites along aggrecan, the most abundant cartilage proteoglycan. These events are facilitated by Interleukin (IL)-1β and other inflammatory cytokines present in the synovial fluid and chondrocytes of osteoarthritis patients.
Identifying therapeutics that inhibit the activity of aggrecanases may help reduce the severity of osteoarthritis and will continue to be a popular area of research. MD Bioproducts offers two ELISAs that measure aggrecanase activity. The standard ELISA measures aggrecanase activity in the nM range, while the Sensitive Aggrecanase Activity ELISA measures activity in the pM range. The aggrecanase activity can be attributable to the amount of peptide containing the N-terminal sequence ARGSVIL as this is a byproduct caused by the proteolytic cleavage of aggrecan. If less aggrecanase activity is observed, then the experimental compound may be beneficial for inhibiting or slowing down the degradation of cartilage in osteoarthritis.
To learn more about these ELISAs before you setup your experiment, see the following publications that reference our kit.
- In vitro inhibition of aggrecanase activity by tetracyclines and proteoglycan loss from osteoarthritic human articular cartilage. Steinmeyer J, et al. J Orthop Res. 2010 Jun; 28(6):828-33. View article >
- Aggrecanase- and matrix metalloproteinase-mediated aggrecan degradation is associated with different molecular characteristics of aggrecan and separated in time ex vivo. Madsen SH, et al. Biomarkers. 2010 May; 15(3):266-76. View article >
- Syndecan-4 regulates ADAMTS-5 activation and cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis. Echtermeyer F, et al. Nat Med. 2009 Sep; 15(9): 1072-6. View article >
- The carbon monoxide-releasing molecule tricarbonyldichlororuthenium(II) dimer protects human osteoarthritis chondrocytes and cartilage from the catabolic actions of interleukin-1β. Megias J, et al. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2008 Apr; 325(1):56-61. View article >