OPTIMIZING THE CONCENTRATION OF THE PEPTIDE CK2.1 FOR CHONDROCYTE ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY CELLS FROM PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS
Date
2024-05
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative illness caused by the accumulation of years of
mechanical stress slowly leading to the degradation of cartilage at the joints. Specifically, OA
causes the loss of cartilage cells, known as chondrocytes, and the breakdown of the extracellular
matrix. Although growth factor Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 has been shown to induce the
growth and proliferation of chondrocytes, it is also associated with harmful side-effects. The
novel peptide CK2.1 has been shown to release casein kinase II (CK2) from sites at the
BMPRIa-BMPRII receptor complex, and thereby activate BMP signaling in a similar manner to
BMP-2. In this study, primary chondrocytes were isolated from the cartilage of the femoral
heads of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The chondrocytes were cultured prior to
stimulation with various concentrations of CK2.1. Subsequent Alcian blue staining was
performed in order to measure the chondrocyte activity and proliferation for each concentration.
The results of this study demonstrate that CK2.1 has a beneficial effect on the activity of
chondrocytes isolated from human patients diagnosed with OA, with the greatest efficacy at the
concentrations of 100nM and 250nM. The peptide CK2.1 has potential as a therapeutic for OA
because of its ability to induce chondrocyte activity, thereby restoring the health and volume of
the cartilage in patients with OA.