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Glucosamine sulfate for knee osteoarthritis: science and evidence‑based use

Jorge A Roman-Blas, Santos Castaneda, Raquel Largo and Gabriel Herrero-Beaumont

The pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis is traditionally accomplished with nonspecific symptomatic agents that are generally effective only for acute symptom relief. Compounds are currently being searched for that might exert specific effects on osteoarthritis pathogenesis and thus induce at least a similar shortterm symptomatic effect, but also control the progression of the disease in the long-term. Glucosamine sulfate is, so far, the only drug that has demonstrated a combined symptom-modifying and potential structure-modifying effect in knee osteoarthritis when used as the prescription crystalline glucosamine sulfate formulation at the dose of 1500 mg once daily. These effects may be explained by reversal of the proinflammatory and joint-degenerating effects of IL-1 through the inhibition of the cytokine intracellular signaling pathway. However, efficacy data obtained with this prescription glucosamine sulfate formulation may not be applicable to all glucosamine products available as generics or dietary supplements, owing to pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic reasons.