Proteomics as a tool for studying osteoarthritis

Abstract

s / Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 21 (2013) S1–S8 S5 engineered constructs will alleviate the problems concerning the present treatment of cartilage diseases. I-14 PROTEOMICS AS A TOOL FOR STUDYING OSTEOARTHRITIS D. de Seny. GIGA Res., Univ. of Liege, CHU Liege, Liege, Belgium Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins expressed by cells, tissues or organ. It describes the dynamics of cell regulation by detecting molecular events related to the development of a disease. It is a multidisciplinary approach using medical, biological, bioanalytical and bioinformatics knowledge. One of the most promising applications of proteomics studies is identification of new biomarkers as indicators of pathogenic processes or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. However, several practical considerations need to be raised to set up a robust and sensitive strategy for biomarker discovery in osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a heterogeneous, complex joint pathology. Progression of OA is slow and periodic with intermittent episodes of inflammatory flares and remission periods. Therefore, biomarkers are discontinuously released in biological fluids. This presentation will focus on current proteomic approaches and their limitations in identifying the so-called soluble or “wet biomarkers” measured in blood, serum, plasma, urine and synovial fluid. The presence of a high quantity of proteins in such complex biological fluid make biomarkers discovery highly challenging. Nevertheless, current approaches exist to extend accessible concentration range and deep proteome detection. Comparison between a “targeted proteomic approach” based in the evaluation of single disease-related molecule levels and a “non-targeted proteomic approach” based on the simultaneous evaluation of hundreds proteins in a blind experiment using gel-based methods or mass spectrometry will be reviewed. Based on the assumption that a combination of biomarkers is more specific and sensitive for disease diagnosis than single marker, non-targeted proteomic technologies became highly attractive over the last decade. However, the gap between biomarkers discovery and clinical implementation remains important, as only few biomarkers have already been validated. All these practical considerations will be illustrated by current proteomics studies. I-15 REHABILITATION FOR CARTILAGE DEFECT IN EARLY KNEE OA M. Risberg. NAR, Dept. of Sport Med., Norwegian Sch. Sport Sci., Oslo,