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Re:【medical-news】关于软骨结构的研究为关节炎患者带来希望

Cartilage Discovery Offers Arthritis Hope

Main Category: Arthritis News
主要类别:关节炎新闻
Article Date: 15 Jan 2007 - 3:00 PST
文章日期:2007年1月15日-3:00太平洋标准时间

Scientists have revealed the intricate structure of cartilage in what they hope will provide clues to how the crippling joint disease osteoarthritis might one day be treated.
科学家已经揭示了软骨的复杂结构,他们希望这能为残疾性关节疾病—骨性关节炎的治疗提供线索
The disease, which affects more than five million people in the UK, is caused by the wear and tear of the smooth, hard cartilage tissue that covers the ends of bones allowing them to glide over one another at the joint.
这种使英国500多万人受到影响的疾病是由于覆盖在骨骼末端的使其在关节处能互相滑动的平滑坚硬的软骨组织受到磨损和撕裂引起的。
Scientists have long known that cartilage gets its strength from interlocking millimetre-long collagen fibres that work in a similar way to the load-bearing steel rods in reinforced concrete.
很久以前科学家就了解软骨通过将毫米长的胶原纤维进行交联来获得强度,这种方式类似于加强型混凝土中负重的钢柱。
But the precise structure of these fibres or 'fibrils' has remained a mystery for more than 40 years, so hindering any progress towards the development of potential therapies.
但是这些纤维或者“原纤维”的精密结构保持它的神秘达40年之久,妨碍了可能的治疗方法研究的进展。
Now, a team from The University of Manchester has used sophisticated electron microscope techniques to uncover the molecular structure of the thinner of the two types of collagen fibrils.
现在,来自曼彻斯特大学的一个研究小组利用高超的电子显微镜技术揭示了这两种胶原纤维的薄层的分子结构。
Professor Karl Kadler, who led the research in the Faculty of Life Sciences, said: "The ability of cartilage to withstand cycles of compression and relaxation is directly attributable to the collagen fibrils.
引导这项研究的生命科学系教授Karl Kadler说:“软骨抵抗压缩和松弛循环的能力直接归因于胶原纤维。”
"Osteoarthritis occurs when the fibrils are disrupted or lost - just like concrete without the steel, the cartilage becomes mechanically weak and susceptible to wear and tear.
“当原纤维遭到破坏或者缺失就像混凝土缺少钢筋一样,骨性关节炎就会发生。软骨的机械性变弱易于磨损和撕裂。”
"Eventually, the cartilage breaks down altogether and sufferers experience severe pain as the two ends of the bones rub against each other."
“最终软骨完全被损坏,当两个骨骼的末端互相摩擦时患者就会体验到剧烈的疼痛。”
The team's findings - published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - also explain why mutations in cartilage collagen genes cause osteoarthritis.
该小组的发现发表在《国家科学院报》,也解释了为什么胶原纤维基因突变能引起骨关节炎。
"Without a detailed understanding of the structure of these fibrils, a treatment that prevents them deteriorating would always prove elusive," said Professor Kadler.
“如果没有对这些原纤维的详细了解,防止这种病的恶化的治疗是不可捉摸的。”Kadler教授说
"This research, while just a beginning, at least establishes some basic scientific facts that could prove useful in future studies on osteoarthritis and related conditions."
“这项研究虽然只是个开端,至少确立了一些基本的对将来骨关节炎和相关疾病的研究有用的科学事实。”
The next stage of the team's work will be to determine the structure of the thicker fibrils and examine how collagen cells manage to produce these relatively large fibrous structures which are 1,000 times their own size.
该小组下阶段的工作是测定较厚的原纤维的结构并检测胶原细胞如何产生这些相对较大的是自身大小的1000倍的纤维结构。
Once scientists understand how the fibrils form and develop in healthy cartilage, they can then investigate what happens when things go wrong in diseases like osteoarthritis.
一旦科学家了解正常软骨中胶原纤维是如何形成的,他们就可以研究像骨关节炎这种疾病中什么出现了问题。
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis affecting an estimated 5.2 million people in the UK (source: Arthritis Research Campaign).
骨性关节炎是关节炎最常见的类型,在英国估计520万人受到影响。
OA commonly affects the hands as well as the spine and large weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees and less commonly the feet and ankles.
骨性关节炎通常累及手、脊柱和大的载重关节例如髋和膝关节,足和踝较少受到累及。
There is currently no cure for OA. Symptoms are relieved by the use of painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs or local injections of glucocorticoid (a hormone steroid) or hyaluronan. In severe cases, joint replacement surgery may be necessary.
目前骨性关节炎无法治愈。通过服止痛药和消炎药或者局部注射糖皮质激素或透明质烷来减轻症状。一些严重的病例需要关节置换手术。
Contact: Aeron Haworth
联系人:Aeron Haworth
University of Manchester
曼彻斯特大学

编译
关于软骨结构的研究为关节炎患者带来希望
科学家已经揭示了软骨的复杂结构,他们希望这能为残疾性关节疾病—骨性关节炎的治疗提供线
索。
这种使英国500多万人受到影响的疾病是由于覆盖在骨骼末端的使其在关节处能互相滑动的平
滑坚硬的软骨组织受到磨损和撕裂引起的。

很久以前科学家就了解软骨通过将毫米长的胶原纤维进行交联来获得强度,这种方式类似于加强型混凝土中负重的钢柱
但是这些纤维或者“原纤维”的精密结构保持它的神秘达40年之久,妨碍了可能的治疗方法研
究的进展。

现在,来自曼彻斯特大学的一个研究小组利用高超的电子显微镜技术揭示了这两种胶原纤维
的薄层的分子结构。

引导这项研究的生命科学系教授Karl Kadler说:“软骨抵抗压缩和松弛循环的能力直接归因于胶原纤维。当原纤维遭到破坏或者缺失就像混凝土缺少钢筋一样,骨性关节炎就会发生。软骨的机械性变弱易于磨损和撕裂。最终软骨完全被损坏,当两个骨骼的末端互相摩擦时患者就会体验到剧烈的疼痛。”

该小组的发现发表在《国家科学院报》,也解释了为什么胶原纤维基因突变能引起骨关节炎。

Kadler教授说“如果没有对这些原纤维的详细了解,防止这种病的恶化的治疗是不可捉摸的。这项研究虽然只是个开端,至少确立了一些基本的对将来骨关节炎和相关疾病的研究有用的科
学事实。”

该小组下阶段的工作是测定较厚的原纤维的结构并检测胶原细胞如何产生这些相对较大的是自
出现了问题。

一旦科学家了解正常软骨中胶原纤维是如何形成的,他们就可以研究像骨关节炎这种疾病中什么
身大小的1000倍的纤维结构。
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