Interleukin-17A

The protocol treats knee-focused preclinical evidence as mechanistic plausibility rather than direct proof of efficacy in erosive hand osteoarthritis. IL-17A concentrations are higher in osteoarthritis serum and synovial fluid than in healthy controls and correlate with clinical severity measures. The trial’s rationale is based on evidence that the interleukin-17 cytokine family contributes to osteoarthritis pathogenesis. IL-17 is linked to inflammatory, complement, hypoxia, angiogenesis, and glycolytic pathways in osteoarthritis cells. In vitro evidence shows IL-17 increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases and inflammatory proteins.