Arthritis is a multifactorial disease for which current therapeutic intervention with high efficacy remains challenging. Arthritis predominately affects articular joints, and cartilage deterioration and inflammation are key characteristics. Current therapeutics targeting inflammatory responses often cause severe side effects in patients because of the systemic inhibition of cytokines or other global immunosuppressive activities. Furthermore, a lack of primary response or failure to sustain a response to treatment through acquired drug resistance is an ongoing concern. Nevertheless, treatments such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, biological agents, and corticosteroids have revealed promising outcomes by decreasing pain and inflammation in patients and in some cases reducing radiographic progression of the disease. Emerging and anecdotal therapeutics with anti-inflammatory activity, alongside specific inhibitors of the A Disintegrin-like And Metalloproteinase domain with Thrombospondin-1 repeats (ADAMTS) cartilage-degrading aggrecanases, provide promising additions to current arthritis treatment strategies. Thus, it is paramount that treatment strategies be optimized to increase efficacy, reduce debilitating side effects, and improve the quality of life of patients with arthritis. Here, we review the current strategies that attempt to slow or halt the progression of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, providing an up-to-date summary of pharmaceutical treatment strategies and side effects. Importantly, we highlight their potential to indirectly regulate ADAMTS aggrecanase activity through their targeting of inflammatory mediators, thus providing insight into a mechanism by which they might inhibit cartilage destruction to slow or halt radiographic progression of the disease. We also contrast these with anecdotal or experimental administration of statins that could equally regulate ADAMTS aggrecanase activity and are available to arthritis sufferers worldwide. Finally, we review the current literature regarding the development of synthetic inhibitors directed toward the aggrecanases ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS5, a strategy that might directly inhibit cartilage destruction and restore joint function in both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Background: ADAMTS proteoglycanases show proteolytic activity toward versican and other proteoglycans. Results: ADAMTS15, which cleaves versican, is expressed during early cardiac development and during musculoskeletal development. Conclusion: With unique and overlapping biological properties, ADAMTS15 is likely to have cooperative roles with other members of the ADAMTS proteoglycanase clade. Significance: Versican cleavage has profound effects on developmental morphogenesis and regulates cancer cell behavior.

BackgroundThe A Disintegrin-like and Metalloproteinase domain with Thrombospondin-1 motifs (ADAMTS) enzymes comprise 19 mammalian zinc-dependent metalloproteinases (metzincins) with homologues in a wide range of invertebrates. ADAMTS enzymes have a broad range of functions in development and diseases due to their extracellular matrix remodelling activity. Here, we report a detailed characterisation of their evolutionary conservation across vertebrates.ResultsUsing bioinformatics complemented with de novo sequencing, gene sequences for ADAMTS enzymes were obtained from a variety of organisms. Detailed evolutionary analyses revealed a high level of conservation across vertebrates with evidence of ADAMTS gene expansion during two rounds of whole genome duplication (WGD) in vertebrates, while tandem duplication events and gene loss were also apparent. However, the additional round of teleost-specific WGD did not have a significant effect on ADAMTS gene family members suggesting their conserved roles have remained constant in teleost fish. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed dynamic expression of adamts genes throughout zebrafish embryonic development reflecting the key conserved roles they play in vertebrate embryogenesis. Notably, several adamts mRNAs were maternally expressed with a dramatic increase in mRNA levels coinciding with zygotic expression and organogenesis. Broad adamts mRNA expression was also demonstrated in several adult organs indicating potential roles in adult homeostasis.ConclusionsOur data highlight the evolution of the ADAMTS gene family through duplication processes across metazoans supplemented by a burst of amplification through vertebrate WGD events. It also strongly posits the zebrafish as a potential model species to further elucidate the function of ADAMTS enzymes during vertebrate development.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0281-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

SUMMARYFocal adhesions anchor cells to extracellular matrix (ECM) and direct assembly of a pre-stressed actin cytoskeleton. They act as a cellular sensor and regulator, linking ECM to the nucleus. Here, we identify proteolytic turnover of the anti-adhesive proteoglycan versican as a requirement for maintenance of smooth muscle cell (SMC) focal adhesions. Using conditional deletion in mice, we show that ADAMTS9, a secreted metalloprotease, is required for myometrial activation during late gestation and for parturition. Through knockdown of ADAMTS9 in uterine SMC, and manipulation of pericellular versican via knockdown or proteolysis, we demonstrate that regulated pericellular matrix dynamics is essential for focal adhesion maintenance. By influencing focal adhesion formation, pericellular versican acts upstream of cytoskeletal assembly and SMC differentiation. Thus, pericellular versican proteolysis by ADAMTS9 balances pro- and anti-adhesive forces to maintain an SMC phenotype, providing a concrete example of the dynamic reciprocity of cells and their ECM.

The a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type-1 motifs (ADAMTS) family of metzincins are complex secreted proteins that have diverse functions during development. The hyalectanases (ADAMTS1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 15 and 20) are a subset of this family that have enzymatic activity against hyalectan proteoglycans, the processing of which has important implications during development. This review explores the evolution, expression and developmental functions of the ADAMTS family, focusing on the ADAMTS hyalectanases and their substrates in diverse species. This review gives an overview of how the family and their substrates evolved from non-vertebrates to mammals, the expression of the hyalectanases and substrates in different species and their functions during development, and how these functions are conserved across species.