INTERLEUKIN-18 INHIBITOR FOR USE IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

摘要

There is provided an interleukin-18 (IL-18) inhibitor for use in the prevention or treatment of injury-induce dosteoarthritis in a joint of a subject. Also provided is a method for treating or preventing injury-induced osteoarthritis in a joint of a subject, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of an interleukin-18 (IL- 8) inhibitor. Also provided is an in vitro method for diagnosing or predicting the risk of acute injury osteoarthritis in a joint of a subject, said method comprising (i)10 determining the amount of IL-18 in a sample from said subject;(ii)comparing the amount of IL-18 in the sample with a reference standard; and(iii)identifying a difference in the amount of IL-18 biomarker in the sample relative to the reference standard;wherein an increase in the amount of IL-18 in the sample compared to the reference standard correlates with the presence of, or an increased risk of, injury-1 induced osteoarthritis; and a decrease, or no change, in the amount of IL-18 in the sample compared to the reference standard correlates with the absence of, or a lack of increased risk of, injury-induced osteoarthritis.