Noninvasive visualization of early osteoarthritic cartilage using targeted nanosomes in a destabilization of the medial meniscus mouse model

Abstract

Background

Early stage osteoarthritis (OA) is clinically asymptomatic due to the avascular and the aneural nature of the cartilage tissue. Nevertheless, early detection of cartilage tissue is critical in order to impede the progression of OA. Hence, in order to develop effective preventive therapy for OA, diagnosis in the early stages is necessary.

Methods

To achieve this goal, we have developed targeted, fluorescent nanosomes conjugated with monoclonal anti-type II collagen antibodies (MabCII) for diagnosis of early OA. The MabCII-coated nanosomes (targeted-nanosomes) bind to the damaged cartilage explants in vitro and in vivo in an OA mouse model that mimics early stage OA. The OA mouse model was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in 9–10 weeks old C57Bl/6 mice.

Results

The targeted-nanosomes enhanced the binding specificity to the cartilage tissue according to the severity of damage.

Conclusion

We show that MabCII-nanosomes can precisely detect early stage OA in the DMM mouse model. Thus, MabCII-nanosomes have the potential to be used as a non-invasive method for diagnosing the early osteoarthritic lesions.

Keywords:

• osteoarthritis
• nanosome
• diagnosis
• OA score
• destabilization of the medial meniscus
• matrix metalloproteinases
• monoclonal anti-type II collagen antibody

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) and funded by the Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (grant no HI17C2191). This research also supported by a VA Merit Review award from the Department of Veterans Affairs, an R21 award from NIH (AR060408), and a CTSI award from the UTHSC (KAH). HC also acknowledges the support of Arthritis Foundation Discovery grant and The William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation Award.

Author contributions

All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.