Chondromodulin-I (Cnmd), also known as Chm-1, Chm-I, or Lect1, is a key molecule in cartilage biology. Encoding a 334-amino-acid type II transmembrane glycoprotein, it is primarily expressed in cartilage. Cnmd plays crucial roles in chondrocyte proliferation, cartilage homeostasis, and angiogenesis blocking. It is involved in endochondral ossification and may contribute to bone repair and delaying osteoarthritis (OA) progression [1,3].

In a mouse model of distraction osteogenesis, Cnmd null (Cnmd-/-) mice showed less cartilage callus formation, with the distraction gap filled by fibrous tissues. Radiological and histological investigations demonstrated delayed bone consolidation and remodeling in these mice. Additionally, Cnmd deficiency caused a one-week delay in the peak expression of VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9 genes, as well as subsequent angiogenesis and osteoclastogenesis, indicating that Cnmd is necessary for cartilage callus distraction [2].

In conclusion, Cnmd is essential for cartilage-related biological processes. The gene knockout (KO) mouse model of Cnmd has revealed its significance in cartilage callus distraction, bone consolidation, and remodeling. These findings suggest that Cnmd may be a potential therapeutic target for conditions like OA, highlighting the importance of further functional studies on this gene in in vivo research models [1,2,3].

References:

1. Reyes Alcaraz, Viviana, Pattappa, Girish, Miura, Shigenori, Shukunami, Chisa, Docheva, Denitsa. 2024. A Narrative Review of the Roles of Chondromodulin-I (Cnmd) in Adult Cartilage Tissue. In International journal of molecular sciences, 25, . doi:10.3390/ijms25115839. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38892027/

2. Yukata, Kiminori, Shukunami, Chisa, Matsui, Yoshito, Hiraki, Yuji, Yasui, Natsuo. 2023. Chondromodulin is necessary for cartilage callus distraction in mice. In PloS one, 18, e0280634. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0280634. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36795722/

3. Zhu, Sipin, Qiu, Heng, Bennett, Samuel, Xu, Huazi, Xu, Jiake. 2019. Chondromodulin-1 in health, osteoarthritis, cancer, and heart disease. In Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 76, 4493-4502. doi:10.1007/s00018-019-03225-y. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31317206/