Osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint diseases worldwide. The prevalence increases with age. As of 2020, approximately 600 million people globally are suffering from this condition, and in South Korea, one in three people aged 65 and older has osteoarthritis.
Recently, domestic researchers successfully identified the underlying causes of osteoarthritis and discovered new treatment methods. The research team led by Professor Kim Jin-hong of Seoul National University’s Department of Life Sciences announced these findings on 4th in the international journal Nature Communications.
Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the cartilage that protects the joints wears away over time. Currently, treatments for osteoarthritis mainly focus on pain relief or procedures like joint replacement surgery. These methods do not address the root cause and are primarily focused on alleviating symptoms, indicating the need for new treatment strategies.
To propose new treatment strategies for osteoarthritis, the research team first identified the causes of the disease. They found that in osteoarthritis patients, a specific sugar component, "uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc)," is not properly utilized and accumulates within the cells.
The excessively accumulated UDP-GlcNAc reacted with a protein called GATA4, stabilizing GATA4. This, in turn, induced age-related inflammatory responses that worsened arthritis. The failure of essential sugar components to properly move within the body caused problems, leading to faster degradation of the joints.
Through animal experiments, the research team confirmed that preventing the stabilization of GATA4 protein or removing the protein itself can slow the progression of osteoarthritis. This finding points to a new strategy for treating osteoarthritis.
In contrast, administering excessive amounts of glucosamine, an amino sugar that makes up cartilage, increased the reaction between UDP-GlcNAc and GATA4, worsening osteoarthritis. Many people take glucosamine to prevent osteoarthritis or alleviate symptoms, but excessive intake increased inflammation responses by triggering changes in specific proteins. The researchers noted, "We present guidelines indicating that glucosamine should not be taken excessively for joint protection purposes."
Professor Kim Jin-hong stated, "The research findings are significant in that the sugars and health supplements consumed daily can impact the management of osteoarthritis," and added, "Based on the research results, we will develop treatment strategies for osteoarthritis that effectively protect joints and inhibit cartilage aging."
References
Nature Communications (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55085-1