Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of disability in older adults. It is characterised by joint pain and/or joint dysfunction, and high interpatient variability. Until recently, treatment has focussed only on symptom control, meaning that the condition worsens over time, often leading to arthroplasty. A growing understanding of the pathophysiological processes underlying the condition have elucidated novel therapeutic targets, including inflammatory cytokines, matrix-degrading enzymes, mTOR signalling pathways and the Wnt pathway. Repurposing existing drugs such as metformin and statins for the treatment of OA is also being explored. Personalized OA therapy is the ultimate goal, with recent advances in
phenotype classification and numerous emerging targeted therapies offering hope for the future.
