Collagen Type II, Monoclonal Antibody

Type II collagen (CII) is a fibrillar collagen that is primarily located in cartilage tissue. The major molecular form of collagen in cartilage is type II collagen. Type II collagen is also located in the vitreous humor of the eye, the inner ear, the nose, and the intervertebral discs of the spine. The function of type II collagen is to provide tensile strength to the matrix and give cartilage the ability to resist shearing forces. Mutations of the COL2A1 gene affect the synthesis of type II collagen and cause chondrodysplasias. This is characterized by abnormal cartilage that leads to bone and joint deformities. The degradation of collagen type II is an early indicator of osteoarthritis.