Figure 3.

Rho GTPases play direct or indirect roles in osteoarthritis (OA). SNPs in RhoB have been found in OA populations; Rac1 regulates CTGF/CCN2 expression, which in turn play a pathological role in OA; RhoA/ROCK interact with OA pathological factors such as transforming growth factor-epidermal growth factor receptor (TGF-EGFR), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), IL1a, and leptin in regulating OA progression; RhoA-ROCK signaling is suggested to be involved in OA early phase response to abnormal mechanical stimuli.