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Osteoarthritis is caused by the loss of chondrogenic stem/progenitor cells at the articular surface.

ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA), which carries an enormous disease burden across the world, is characterised by irreversible degeneration of articular cartilage (AC), and subsequently of bone. The cellular cause of OA is unknown. Here, using lineage tracing in mice, we show that the BMP-antagonist Gremlin 1 (Grem1) marks a novel chondrogenic stem/progenitor (CSP) cell population in the articular surface that generates joint cartilage and subchondral bone during development and adulthood. Notably, this CSP population is depleted when OA-inducing injury is created in two independent models, and with age. OA is also induced by toxin mediated ablation of Grem1 CSP cells in young mice. Transcriptomic analysis and functional modelling in mice revealed articular surface Grem1 CSP cells are dependent on Foxo1; ablation of Foxo1 in Grem1 cells also led to early OA. This analysis identified FGFR3 signalling as a therapeutic target, and injection of its activator, FGF18, caused proliferation of Grem1 CSP cells (but not hypertrophic AC), increased cartilage thickness, and reduced OA pathology. We propose that OA arises from the loss of CSP cells at the articular surface secondary to an imbalance in stem/progenitor cell homeostasis and present a new stem cell progenitor population as a locus for OA therapy.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE193175 | GEO | 2023/09/19

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:As the most common degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA) contributes significantly to pain and disability during aging. Several genes of interest involved in articular cartilage damage in OA have been identified. However, the direct causes of OA are poorly understood. Evaluating the public human RNA-seq dataset showed that Cbfβ, (subunit of a heterodimeric Cbfβ/Runx1,Runx2, or Runx3 complex) expression is decreased in the cartilage of patients with OA. Here, we found that the chondrocyte-specific deletion of Cbfβ in tamoxifen-induced Cbfβf/fCol2α1-CreERT mice caused a spontaneous OA phenotype, worn articular cartilage, increased inflammation, and osteophytes. RNA-sequencing analysis showed that Cbfβ deficiency in articular cartilage resulted in reduced cartilage regeneration, increased canonical Wnt signaling and inflammatory response, and decreased Hippo/YAP signaling and TGF-β signaling. Immunostaining and western blot validated these RNA-seq analysis results. ACLT surgery-induced OA decreased Cbfβ and Yap expression and increased active β-catenin expression in articular cartilage, while local AAV-mediated Cbfβ overexpression promoted Yap expression and diminished active β-catenin expression in OA lesions. Remarkably, AAV-mediated Cbfβ overexpression in knee joints of mice with OA showed the significant protective effect of Cbfβ on articular cartilage in the ACLT OA mouse model. Overall, this study, using loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches, uncovered that low expression of Cbfβ may be the cause of OA. Moreover, Local admission of Cbfβ may rescue and protect OA through decreasing Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and increasing Hippo/Yap signaling and TGFβ/Smad2/3 signaling in OA articular cartilage, indicating that local Cbfβ overexpression could be an effective strategy for treatment of OA. Using unbiased genome-wide RNA-seq data from Cbfβf/f;Col2α1-Cre hip joint articular cartilage and Cbfβf/f;Aggrecan-cre knee joint articular cartilage and their controls, we examined Cbfβ-mediated transcriptional targets for articular cartilage regeneration in OA.

Project description:Background: Meniscus tears are the most common injury in the knee and are associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis (OA). The molecular profile of knees with meniscus tears is not well-studied. Therefore, to advance our understanding of the early response of the knee to injury, we compared the gene expression profile of meniscus and articular cartilage within the same knees following meniscus injury. Hypothesis/Purpose: To identify differences between the molecular signatures of meniscus and articular cartilage from knees with intact articular cartilage undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study Methods: Patients (n=12) with a known isolated medial meniscus tear without any knee chondrosis or radiographic OA were consented prior to surgery. During arthroscopic partial meniscectomy, a sample of their injured meniscus and a sample of their articular cartilage off the medial femoral condyle were procured. The transcriptome signatures, as measured through Affymetrix microarray, were compared between the two tissues and underlying biological processes were explored computationally. Results: 3566 gene transcripts were differentially expressed between meniscus and articular cartilage. Gene transcripts down-regulated in articular cartilage were associated with extracellular matrix organization, wound healing, cell adhesion, and chemotaxis. Gene transcripts up-regulated in articular cartilage were associated with blood vessels morphogenesis and angiogenesis. Examples of individual genes with significant differences in expression between the two tissues include IBSP (23.76 fold; P < 0.001), upregulated in meniscus, and TREM1 (3.23 fold; P = 0.006), upregulated in meniscus. Conclusion: The meniscus and articular cartilage have distinct gene expression profiles in knees with meniscus tears and intact articular cartilage. Total RNA obtained from injured meniscus and normal articular cartilage from patients undergoing partial meniscectomy.

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Osteoarthritis is caused by the loss of chondrogenic stem/progenitor cells at the articular surface.

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