Chondrocyte-Specific Knockout of <i>Piezo1</i> and <i>Piezo2</i> Protects Against Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Structural Damage and Pain in Mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, synovial inflammation, and bone remodeling, with limited therapeutic options targeting the underlying pathophysiology. Mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 play crucial roles in chondrocyte responses to mechanical stress, mediating mechanotransduction pathways that influence chondrocyte survival, matrix production, and inflammatory signaling, but their distinct contributions to OA pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods

Using inducible, chondrocyte-specific Aggrecan-Cre (Acan) mice, we investigated Piezo1, Piezo2, and combined Piezo1/2 conditional knockouts (cKOs) using the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model of pos

SUBMITTER: Ely EV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12154791 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature