Pelletier Jean-Pierre, Martel-Pelletier Johanne, Raynauld Jean-Pierre
Osteoarthritis Research Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Notre-Dame Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Arthritis Res Ther. 2006;8(2):206. doi: 10.1186/ar1932. Epub 2006 Mar 21.
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common of all arthritic conditions, is a social and financial burden to all nations. The most recent research has significantly advanced our understanding of the cause of OA and risk factors associated with it. These findings have provided useful information that has helped in the daily management of patients with OA. Some preventative measures and a number of therapeutic agents and drugs are available, which may help to reduce the progression of OA in certain patients. Moreover, the most recent progress in research has significantly enhanced our knowledge of the factors involved in the development of the disease and of the mechanisms responsible for its progression. This has allowed identification of several new therapeutic targets in a number of pathophysiological pathways. Consequently, the field is opening up to a new era in which drugs and agents that can specifically block important mechanisms responsible for the structural changes that occur in OA can be brought into development and eventually into clinical trials.
骨关节炎（OA）是所有关节炎病症中最常见的一种，对所有国家来说都是一种社会和经济负担。最近的研究极大地推进了我们对OA病因及与之相关的风险因素的理解。这些发现提供了有用信息，有助于OA患者的日常管理。有一些预防措施以及多种治疗药物可供使用，这可能有助于减缓某些OA患者病情的发展。此外，最近的研究进展显著增进了我们对该疾病发生发展相关因素以及病情进展机制的了解。这使得在多个病理生理途径中确定了几个新的治疗靶点。因此，该领域正迈向一个新时代，在这个时代，能够特异性阻断导致OA结构改变的重要机制的药物和制剂可以被研发出来并最终进入临床试验。
