The Therapeutic and Prognostic Role of Clusterin in Diverse Musculoskeletal Diseases: A Mini Review

Secretory clusterin (sCLU)/apolipoprotein J was first discovered in rat testis and named clusterin for its ability to aggregate blood cells in vitro. It's a protein found in mammalian tissue that participates in various pathophysiological processes. Dysregulated sCLU expression has been linked to proliferative or apoptotic molecular processes and inflammatory responses. These processes contribute to musculoskeletal diseases like ischemic osteonecrosis, osteoarthritis, spinal cord injury, and rheumatoid arthritis. Recent findings suggest sCLU could be a therapeutic target for conditions like ischemic osteonecrosis, OA, and spinal cord injury. It may also serve as a prognostic biomarker for OA and RA, and for osteosarcoma.

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  sCLU is associated with inflammatory responses, tissue degeneration, and cellular apoptosis during acute and subacute traumatic SCI.
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  sCLU depletion inhibits the growth of osteosarcoma cells exposed to cisplatin and improves chemosensitivity, indicating its potential as a prognostic factor for OS patients.
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  Extracellular sCLU in synovial fluid correlates with therapeutic effects in RA, suggesting its role as a prognostic biomarker for disease activity and treatment response.