Key Points
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Osteoarthritis (OA) imposes huge social and economic burdens on our society, causing pain and disability as well as reduced quality of life in individuals with the condition
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Owing to sophisticated genetic engineering strategies, mouse models are of great value in understanding the role of individual genes in joint health and in the development of OA
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Individual risk factors for OA (injury, diet, activity, genetics, and so on) can be individually modified in mouse models of the disease
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New assessment tools (in particular for pain and activity) enable the examination of patient-relevant parameters in mouse models of OA
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High-throughput 'omics' approaches coupled to the use of genetically altered mice will assist the comprehensive understanding of physiology and pathophysiology of joint tissues
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent musculoskeletal disease that results in pain and low quality of life for patients, as well as enormous medical and socioeconomic burdens. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation and progression of OA are still poorly understood. As such, mouse models of the disease are having increasingly important roles in OA research owing to the advancements of microsurgical techniques and the use of genetically modified mice, as well as the development of novel assessment tools. In this Review, we discuss available mouse models of OA and applicable assessment tools in studies of experimental OA.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge funding support received from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Canada Research Chairs, as well as the China Scholarship Council for supporting the visit by F.H. to Canada. We also thank all members of the Beier Laboratory for fruitful discussions.
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Fang, H., Beier, F. Mouse models of osteoarthritis: modelling risk factors and assessing outcomes. Nat Rev Rheumatol 10, 413–421 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.46
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2014.46
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