Regulating obesity-induced osteoarthritis by targeting p53-FOXO3, osteoclast ferroptosis, and mesenchymal stem cell adipogenesis

Obesity-related osteoarthritis (OA) and the molecular mechanisms governing multiple joint structural changes that occur with obesity are not well understood. This study investigated the progression of obesity in mice and validated the results using human joint samples post-arthroplasty. The results show that obesity is associated with the degeneration of the cartilage layer and abnormal remodeling of the subchondral bone layer, and this occurs alongside aging and DNA damage in chondrocytes, osteoclasts, and stem cells. Regulation of p53-FOXO3 gene loop expression in response to DNA damage effectively inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, catabolism, and excessive osteoclast differentiation, while the intra-articular delivery of a lentivirus expressing FOXO3 to mouse joints alleviates the progression of OA. The excessive differentiation of subchondral bone marrow osteoclasts is ferroptosis-dependent and driven by the senescence-associated secretory phenotype. The results have identified multiple potential targets for future research into the progression of obesity-related OA.