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Targeting senescence in OA

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 18, page 305 (2022)Cite this article

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Current treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) promote symptomatic relief without controlling the biological processes underlying tissue damage. In a new study, Zhu et al. describe a microRNA (miRNA) strategy to regenerate the articular microenvironment by targeting cellular senescence, thereby presenting a promising approach for patients with OA.

Delivery of miR-29b-5p holds promise as a strategy to treat OA, although miRNAs are unstable and often have off-target effects. To overcome these limitations, the authors used agomirs, cholesterol-modified miRNAs with enhanced stability, combined with a hydrogel-based delivery system to prolong the retention of miR-29b-5p in the knee joint. Importantly, a short peptide motif was introduced to permit more sustained release of the miRNA as well as for endogenous stem cell recruitment.

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References

Original article

  • Zhu, J. et al. Stem cell–homing hydrogel-based miR-29b-5p delivery promotes cartilage regeneration by suppressing senescence in an osteoarthritis rat model. Sci. Adv. 8, eabk0011 (2022)

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  1. Nature Reviews Rheumatology http://www.nature.com/nrrheum/

    Michael Attwaters

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  1. Michael Attwaters
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Correspondence to Michael Attwaters.

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Attwaters, M. Targeting senescence in OA. Nat Rev Rheumatol 18, 305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-022-00788-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-022-00788-2

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