Exploring immune modulation in osteoarthritis: identifying key biomarkers and the role of PTPRC in regulating immune microenvironment for therapeutic intervention

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is widely recognized as the most prevalent degenerative disorder affecting the joints, representing a major contributor to chronic pain and disability. Despite its high burden, the molecular mechanisms underlying OA pathogenesis remain poorly understood, particularly in the context of immune microenvironment modulation. This study explores the immune-related OA progression mechanisms and investigates potential biomarkers to aid diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Methods: validation confirmed key findings. Results: experiments demonstrate that one of the hub genes-PTPRC-alleviates the deterioration of OA through three levels. Virtual knockout in Natural Killer (NK) cells further confirms that PTPRC influences OA by regulating the immune microenvironment. Conclusions: This study identified three promising biomarkers in OA and certificated that PTPRC plays a pivotal role in alleviating OA progression through immunomodulation, offering a novel intervention pathway for tissue engineering combined with immunomodulatory therapy in OA.