In spite of osteoarthritis being one of the main causes of disability, there is a dearth of effective treatments to slow its progression. So far, treatments have focused mainly on pain relief and reducing joint swelling. Researchers at UF Scripps Biomedical Research have found a possible new target to fight this degenerative joint disease. The key player here is a specific nuclear receptor protein in the chondrocyte cells, namely, retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor beta or RORβ (beta) .
The activation of this receptor restores multiple factors needed for smooth joints to healthier levels, thereby helping to control inflammation. The stable expression of RORβ in cultured cells results in the alteration of a gene cascade that supports the formation of chondrocytes, is anti-inflammatory, and protects against cartilage degradation. Thus, the study suggests that this critical…
