Chondrocyte-specific knockout of Piezo1 and Piezo2 protects against post-traumatic osteoarthritis structural damage and pain in mice.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, synovial inflammation, and bone remodeling, with limited therapeutic options targeting the underlying pathophysiology. Mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 play crucial roles in chondrocyte responses to mechanical stress, mediating mechanotransduction pathways that influence chondrocyte survival, matrix production, and inflammatory signaling, but their distinct contributions to OA pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods: Using inducible, chondrocyte-specific Aggrecan-Cre (Acan) mice, we investigated Piezo1, Piezo2, and combined Piezo1/2 conditional knockouts (cKOs) using the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model of post-traumatic OA in male and female mice.

Chondrocyte-Specific Knockout of and Protects Against Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Structural Damage and Pain in Mice.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration, synovial inflammation, and bone remodeling, with limited therapeutic options targeting the underlying pathophysiology. Mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo1 and Piezo2 play crucial roles in chondrocyte responses to mechanical stress, mediating mechanotransduction pathways that influence chondrocyte survival, matrix production, and inflammatory signaling, but their distinct contributions to OA pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods: Using inducible, chondrocyte-specific Aggrecan-Cre () mice, we investigated , , and combined / conditional knockouts (cKOs) using the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model of post-traumatic OA in male and female mice.