Studies from Leiden University Medical Center Have Provided New Data on Osteoarthritis (Hyper-physiologic mechanical cues, as an osteoarthritis disease-relevant environmental perturbation, cause a critical shift in set points of methylation at...).

A study conducted by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center has provided new data on osteoarthritis (OA). Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints that causes impaired mobility, joint stiffness, pain, and a decrease in quality of life. The study found that hyper-physiological mechanical cues, along with other risk factors such as genetics and age, play a critical role in the onset and progression of the disease. The researchers hypothesize that these mechanical cues lead to changes in the methylation of genes in chondrocytes, which can result in a dysregulated state characteristic of OA. Further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. [Extracted from the article]