Overexpression of ADAMTS-7 gene promotes the breakdown of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) matrix and accelerates the progression of both surgically induced osteoarthritis and collagen-induced arthritis.
Therefore, these data provided the in vivo evidence, suggesting that ADAMTS-7 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis, and that inhibition of ADAMTS-7 may be a potential target to ameliorate the severity of inflammatory arthritis.
Furthermore, GEP is a novel specific inhibitor of ADAMTS-7/ADAMTS-12-mediated COMP degradation and may play a significant role in preventing the destruction of joint cartilage in arthritis.