Collagen is a ubiquitous biomaterial in vertebrate animals. Although each of its 28 subtypes
contributes to the functions of many different tissues in the body, most studies on collagen or …

Osteoarthritis (OA) involves all the structures of the joint. How the disease is initiated and
what factors trigger the disease process remain unclear, although the mechanical …

The composition and organisation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), particularly the
pericellular matrix (PCM), in articular cartilage is critical to its biomechanical functionality; the …

Osteoarthritis is characterized by a progressive degradation of articular cartilage leading to
loss of joint function. The molecular mechanisms regulating pathogenesis and progression …

In this article the organization and functional details of the extracellular matrix, with particular
focus on cartilage, are described. All tissues contain a set of molecules that are arranged to …

Background: Donor-site morbidity, limited numbers of cells, loss of phenotype during ex vivo
expansion, and age-related decline in chondrogenic activity present critical obstacles to the …

Thrombospondins (TSPs) are widely known as a family of five calcium-binding matricellular
proteins. While these proteins belong to the same family, they are encoded by different …

The matrilins form a family of oligomeric extracellular adaptor proteins that are most strongly
expressed in cartilage but also present in many other extracellular matrices. Matrilins bind to …

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a slow-progressing joint disease, leading to the degradation and
remodeling of the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). The usually quiescent chondrocytes …

Skin integrity and function depends to a large extent on the composition of the extracellular
matrix, which regulates tissue organization. Collagen XII is a homotrimer with short …