ab17_2

Collagen-induced arthritis in mice: An animal model to study the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Donald D. Anthony¹, Tariq M. Haqqi¹,²

¹Department of Medicine and ²Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

ABSTRACT
The use of animal models to study disease pathogenesis is essential and several animal models of RA have been used in a wide variety of different studies focusing on problems such as the identification of the inflammatory mediators in RA, the analysis of genetic factors associated with susceptibility to RA, and the identification and characterization of markers suitable for early diagnosis and/or for monitoring the progression of the disease. In this short review we summarize the unique and distinct features of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice, highlighting the many similarities between CIA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The findings regarding the early expression of CD44 in the arthritic knees of mice with CIA are interesting as they provide further evidence of the suitability of this model to study RA pathogenesis. The latter part of the review summarizes our understanding of the biology and the role of the CD44 molecules in inflammatory joint diseases.

Key words
Arthritis, animal model, TCR, CD44.

This work was supported by a Biomedical Science Grant from the Arthritis Foundation and by NIH grants AR-07505 and AR-20618 (NEOMAC).

Please address correspondence to: Dr. Tariq M. Haqqi, Division of Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 2109 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4946, USA.