Tyrosine kinases regulate chondrocyte hypertrophy: promising drug targets for Osteoarthritis

• Published in: Osteoarthritis and cartilage Vol. 29; no. 10; pp. 1389 - 1398
• Main Authors: Ferrao Blanco, M.N., Domenech Garcia, H., Legeai-Mallet, L., van Osch, G.J.V.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2021
• Subjects: Chondrocyte hypertrophy; Chondrocytes - pathology; Discoidin Domain Receptors - physiology; Disease modifying OA drugs; ErbB Receptors - physiology; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - physiology; Humans; Hypertrophy - drug therapy; Janus Kinase 2 - physiology; Osteoarthritis - drug therapy; Osteoarthritis - physiopathology; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn - physiology; Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-like Orphan Receptors - physiology; Receptor, IGF Type 1 - physiology; Receptor, trkA - physiology; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor - physiology; Rheumatology; Signal Transduction; Tyrosine kinases; Chondrocyte hypertrophy; Tyrosine kinases; Disease modifying OA drugs
• ISSN: 1063-4584; 1522-9653; 1522-9653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2021.07.003

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major health problem worldwide that affects the joints and causes severe disability. It is characterized by pain and low-grade inflammation. However, the exact pathogenesis remains unknown and the therapeutic options are limited. In OA articular chondrocytes undergo a phenotypic transition becoming hypertrophic, which leads to cartilage damage, aggravating the disease. Therefore, a therapeutic agent inhibiting hypertrophy would be a promising disease-modifying drug. The therapeutic use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been mainly focused on oncology, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Janus kinase inhibitor Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis has broadened the applicability of these compounds to other diseases. Interestingly, tyrosine kinases have been associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy. In this review, we discuss the experimental evidence that implicates specific tyrosine kinases in signaling pathways promoting chondrocyte hypertrophy, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets for OA.