Toll-like receptors as a part of osteoarthritis pathophysiology: anti-inflammatory, analgesic and neuroprotective effects
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) act as receptors for bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and participate in innate immunity. Excessive TLRs activ ity leads to chronic inflammation and the development of several comorbid pathologies, including osteoarthritis (OA). Computer analysis of 52,312 publications devoted to TLRs was made to systematically describe the mechanisms of biological action of TLRs and their influence on the OA pathophysiology. In addition, we identified the mechanisms by which slow-acting drugs based on standardized forms of chondroitin sulfate (CS), which have symptom-modifying and structural-modifying effects, can decrease TLRs activity and be used in the treatment of OA. Our conclusions are supported by the results of TLRs chemoreactom analysis, as well as by clinical and experimental data.