The mammalian skeleton is largely composed of cartilage and bone. The major functions of cartilage are first to provide a transient template for development of the axial and appendicular skeleton and secondly to provide permanent articulating joint surfaces. The unique cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for the load-bearing and viscoelastic properties of cartilage tissues. Maintained by the chondrocytes, the ECM contains a myriad of proteins and proteoglycans organized into precise networks. Many cartilage disorders result from genetic disruption of cartilage ECM components, their interactions and/or degradation. Although technically challenging, the proteomic analysis of cartilage in development and disease is now emerging as a clinically important research area. In this article, we will review progress in the proteomic characterization of cartilage-related samples.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Clinical Sciences
Research Field:	Rheumatology and Arthritis
Objective Division:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Group:	Expanding Knowledge
Objective Field:	Expanding Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences
Author:	Wilson, RR (Dr Richard Wilson)
ID Code:	72411
Year Published:	2008
Web of Science® Times Cited:	6
Deposited By:	Central Science Laboratory
Deposited On:	2011-08-26
Last Modified:	2012-02-20
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