Venom-Derived Proteins from Lonomia obliqua Modulate Cytoskeletal Regulators and Inflammatory Responses in Human Chondrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss, extracellular matrix degradation, chondrocyte apoptosis, and elevated inflammatory mediators. Chondrocytes respond to IL-1β and other inflammatory signals by secreting cytokines and activating transcriptional pathways that perpetuate inflammation. Because current therapies do not prevent OA progression, bioactive compounds with cytoprotective and immunomodulatory activity are of considerable interest. Lonomia obliqua bristle extract (LOCBE) and its recombinant proteins rLOPAP and rLOSAC exhibit cytoprotective, proliferative, and antioxidant effects in mammalian cells, as well as the ability to influence cytoskeletal dynamics. Given the importance of Rac-1, RhoA, Rab9, and β-catenin in ch

SUBMITTER: Alvarez-Flores MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12841748 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature