Today in FridayScience:
The researchers from the University of Southern California explored how a protein called STAT3 contributes to osteoarthritis by controlling the genetic processes involved in cartilage cell aging.
The study showed that suppressing the protein STAT3 in mouse models of osteoarthritis worsened the condition, while activating it reversed the aging process in the cells. Additionally, an enzyme called DNMT3B helped explain why activating STAT3 reduced the age of the cells’ genes and improved the condition of cartilage cells with osteoarthritis.
Now, the researchers plan to focus on therapeutic interventions that balance raising levels of STAT3 with preventing chronic activation of the STAT3 pathway.
Read more here: Protein turns back clock in cartilage cells, could have therapeutic potential for osteoarthritis
