| abstract |
(57) The present invention comprises administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that alleviates annexin action, treating a subject having arthritis or an arthritic disorder, or in a subject. Methods for preventing arthritis or arthritic disease are provided. Also, various methods of screening for drugs and genes that increase collagen synthesis, reduce collagen degradation, or reduce or delay apoptosis, and achieve or maintain cartilage homeostasis, promote cartilage repair, enhance collagen synthesis Also provided are methods of using the identified agents or nucleic acids to increase, reduce collagen degradation, or reduce or delay apoptosis. The present invention also provides a method for reducing calcification of chondrocyte-derived vesicles and a method for promoting cartilage bone growth using an agent that alleviates annexin action. The present invention also provides compositions comprising isolated chondrocytes, agents that reduce annexin action, and collagen fragments or other means of stimulating chondrocytes including, for example, collagen fragments, collagen peptides or immune mediators. provide. |