Understanding Biology to Achieve Better Cartilage Health

Cartilage has two major functions in vertebrates. Growth plate cartilage provides a transient template for the majority of our bones and controls the growth of the endochondral skeleton. Articular cartilage is an essential component of our joints and crucial for normal mobility. Dysfunction of either form of cartilage leads to severe disease, as exemplified by chondrodysplasias in the case of growth plate cartilage and osteoarthritis for articular cartilage. Treatment options for both types of disorders are very limited, largely due to our incomplete understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Nevertheless, we are making great progress in our understanding normal physiology and pathophysiology of growth plate cartilage and articular cartilage. For example, it is clear that genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, metabolism and mechanical factors all play crucial roles in the development, function and dysfunction of both types of cartilage. The program of this conference was designed to present recent findings from these fields, directly compare advances in growth plate versus articular cartilage, and facilitate the translation of new insights in cartilage biology to novel therapeutic approaches towards cartilage diseases.