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Mechanobiological model for simulation of injured cartilage degradation via proinflammatory cytokines and mechanical

Eskelinen, Atte S.A. ; Tanska, Petri ; Florea, Cristina ; Orozco, Gustavo A. LU ; Julkunen, Petro ; Grodzinsky, Alan J. LU and Korhonen, Rami K. (2020) In PLoS Computational Biology 16(6).
Abstract

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is associated with cartilage degradation, ultimately leading to disability and decrease of quality of life. Two key mechanisms have been suggested to occur in PTOA: Tissue inflammation and abnormal biomechanical loading. Both mechanisms have been suggested to result in loss of cartilage proteoglycans, the source of tissue fixed charge density (FCD). In order to predict the simultaneous effect of these degrading mechanisms on FCD content, a computational model has been developed. We simulated spatial and temporal changes of FCD content in injured cartilage using a novel finite element model that incorporates (1) diffusion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 into tissue, and (2) the effect... (More)

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is associated with cartilage degradation, ultimately leading to disability and decrease of quality of life. Two key mechanisms have been suggested to occur in PTOA: Tissue inflammation and abnormal biomechanical loading. Both mechanisms have been suggested to result in loss of cartilage proteoglycans, the source of tissue fixed charge density (FCD). In order to predict the simultaneous effect of these degrading mechanisms on FCD content, a computational model has been developed. We simulated spatial and temporal changes of FCD content in injured cartilage using a novel finite element model that incorporates (1) diffusion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 into tissue, and (2) the effect of excessive levels of shear strain near chondral defects during physiologically relevant loading. Cytokine-induced biochemical cartilage explant degradation occurs near the sides, top, and lesion, consistent with the literature. In turn, biomechanically-driven FCD loss is predicted near the lesion, in accordance with experimental findings: Regions near lesions showed significantly more FCD depletion compared to regions away from lesions (p<0.01). Combined biochemical and biomechanical degradation is found near the free surfaces and especially near the lesion, and the corresponding bulk FCD loss agrees with experiments. We suggest that the presence of lesions plays a role in cytokine diffusion-driven degradation, and also predisposes cartilage for further biomechanical degradation. Models considering both these cartilage degradation pathways concomitantly are promising in silico tools for predicting disease progression, recognizing lesions at high risk, simulating treatments, and ultimately optimizing treatments to postpone the development of PTOA.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
PLoS Computational Biology
volume
16
issue
6
article number
e1007998
pages
25 pages
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • pmid:32584809
  • scopus:85087956774
ISSN
1553-734X
DOI
10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007998
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Eskelinen et al.
id
1e28751d-7904-477a-b5f8-bc2705e8b9bc
date added to LUP
2022-06-08 11:45:33
date last changed
2024-06-14 16:33:40
@article{1e28751d-7904-477a-b5f8-bc2705e8b9bc,
  abstract     = {{<p>Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is associated with cartilage degradation, ultimately leading to disability and decrease of quality of life. Two key mechanisms have been suggested to occur in PTOA: Tissue inflammation and abnormal biomechanical loading. Both mechanisms have been suggested to result in loss of cartilage proteoglycans, the source of tissue fixed charge density (FCD). In order to predict the simultaneous effect of these degrading mechanisms on FCD content, a computational model has been developed. We simulated spatial and temporal changes of FCD content in injured cartilage using a novel finite element model that incorporates (1) diffusion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 into tissue, and (2) the effect of excessive levels of shear strain near chondral defects during physiologically relevant loading. Cytokine-induced biochemical cartilage explant degradation occurs near the sides, top, and lesion, consistent with the literature. In turn, biomechanically-driven FCD loss is predicted near the lesion, in accordance with experimental findings: Regions near lesions showed significantly more FCD depletion compared to regions away from lesions (p&lt;0.01). Combined biochemical and biomechanical degradation is found near the free surfaces and especially near the lesion, and the corresponding bulk FCD loss agrees with experiments. We suggest that the presence of lesions plays a role in cytokine diffusion-driven degradation, and also predisposes cartilage for further biomechanical degradation. Models considering both these cartilage degradation pathways concomitantly are promising in silico tools for predicting disease progression, recognizing lesions at high risk, simulating treatments, and ultimately optimizing treatments to postpone the development of PTOA. </p>}},
  author       = {{Eskelinen, Atte S.A. and Tanska, Petri and Florea, Cristina and Orozco, Gustavo A. and Julkunen, Petro and Grodzinsky, Alan J. and Korhonen, Rami K.}},
  issn         = {{1553-734X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS Computational Biology}},
  title        = {{Mechanobiological model for simulation of injured cartilage degradation via proinflammatory cytokines and mechanical}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007998}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007998}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}