Aims and Scope
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage publishes research on the molecular mechanisms, pathophysiology, and biomarkers of osteoarthritis and cartilage biology, focusing on mechanistic understanding rather than clinical practice.
Core Research Domains
Molecular Pathophysiology
- Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of cartilage degeneration
- Signaling pathways in osteoarthritis progression (Wnt, TGF-β, NF-κB)
- Inflammatory mediators and cytokine networks
- Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in chondrocytes
- Matrix metalloproteinases and extracellular matrix degradation
- Cellular senescence and aging mechanisms in cartilage
"Identification of novel microRNA signatures regulating chondrocyte apoptosis in osteoarthritis progression through MAPK pathway modulation"
Biomarker Discovery & Validation
- Molecular biomarkers for early disease detection
- Proteomic and metabolomic profiling of synovial fluid
- Circulating biomarkers for disease progression monitoring
- Imaging biomarkers correlating with molecular changes
- Genetic risk factors and predictive biomarkers
- Multi-omics integration for disease stratification
"Proteomic analysis reveals serum protein signatures distinguishing rapid from slow osteoarthritis progressors"
Cartilage Biology & Biomechanics
- Chondrocyte mechanotransduction mechanisms
- Extracellular matrix composition and organization
- Biomechanical loading effects on cartilage metabolism
- Cartilage development and homeostasis pathways
- Subchondral bone-cartilage crosstalk mechanisms
- Synovial joint microenvironment interactions
"Mechanical loading modulates chondrocyte autophagy through primary cilium-mediated calcium signaling"
Regenerative Mechanisms & Tissue Engineering
- Stem cell differentiation pathways toward chondrogenic lineage
- Biomaterial-cell interactions in cartilage regeneration
- Growth factor signaling in cartilage repair
- 3D culture systems and organoid models
- Gene therapy approaches for cartilage regeneration
- Scaffold design principles based on native cartilage structure
"Decellularized cartilage matrix regulates mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis through integrin-mediated mechanosignaling"
Secondary Focus Areas
Disease Models & Methodologies
- Animal models of osteoarthritis pathogenesis
- In vitro disease modeling systems
- Ex vivo cartilage explant studies
- Advanced imaging techniques for molecular assessment
- High-throughput screening platforms
- Computational modeling of disease progression
Molecular Epidemiology
- Genetic association studies (GWAS)
- Gene-environment interactions in disease risk
- Population-based biomarker studies
- Molecular mechanisms underlying risk factors
- Ethnic and demographic variations in disease pathways
Pharmacological Mechanisms
- Molecular targets for disease-modifying interventions
- Drug mechanism of action studies
- Pharmacogenomics of treatment response
- Natural compound mechanisms in cartilage protection
- Drug delivery systems for cartilage targeting
Systems Biology Approaches
- Network analysis of disease pathways
- Multi-omics data integration
- Machine learning for biomarker identification
- Single-cell transcriptomics of cartilage
- Spatial transcriptomics and proteomics
Explicitly Out of Scope
Clinical Treatment Protocols
Surgical techniques, rehabilitation programs, physical therapy protocols, exercise interventions, and treatment guidelines. Focus on mechanisms, not clinical practice.
Patient Management Studies
Clinical outcomes research, quality of life assessments, patient-reported outcomes, healthcare utilization, and disease management strategies without mechanistic insights.
Purely Diagnostic Studies
Clinical diagnostic accuracy, imaging technique comparisons, or screening protocols without molecular or pathophysiological investigation.
Clinical Trial Reports
Therapeutic efficacy trials, comparative effectiveness studies, or intervention outcomes without mechanistic analysis of disease processes.
General Orthopedic Topics
Fracture healing, ligament injuries, general musculoskeletal conditions, or septic arthritis unless directly related to cartilage pathophysiology mechanisms.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Fast-Track Review
- Original Research Articles
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Novel Methodology Papers
- Mechanistic Studies
Standard Review
- Short Communications
- Technical Notes
- Data Descriptor Articles
- Perspective Articles
Limited Acceptance
- Case Reports (only if exceptional mechanistic insights)
- Opinion Pieces
- Commentaries
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- ARRIVE 2.0 for animal studies
- MIQE for qPCR experiments
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- STROBE for observational studies
- CONSORT for randomized trials (if mechanistic)
- Appropriate statistical reporting standards
Data & Ethics Requirements
- Open data deposition in public repositories
- Raw data availability upon request
- IRB/IACUC approval documentation
- Informed consent for human samples
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Preprint policy: accepted on recognized servers
Methodological Rigor
- Appropriate sample size justification
- Blinding and randomization where applicable
- Validation of key findings in independent cohorts
- Reproducibility documentation
- Antibody validation (CiteAb standards)
- Cell line authentication
Molecular Data Standards
- Omics data: GEO, ProteomeXchange, MetaboLights
- Structural data: PDB, EMDB
- Sequence data: GenBank, ENA
- Imaging data: BioImage Archive
- Code availability for computational analyses
- FAIR data principles compliance
