Papers of the Week

In a previous report, we have identified the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonist HU308 to possess a beneficial effect in preventing age and trauma-induced osteoarthritis (OA) in mice. The effects of HU308 were largely related to the capacity of this compound to induce cartilage anabolism which was dependent on the CREB/SOX9 axis, and exhibited pro-survival and pro-proliferative hallmarks of articular cartilage following treatment. Here, we utilized the novel cannabinoid-fenchone CB2 agonists (1B, 1D), which were previously reported to render anti-inflammatory effects in a zymosan model.