UC San Diego researchers have developed a new model of arthritis, focusing on the joint lubricating protein lubricin.
Gout is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, in which urate builds up in the body and forms needle-shaped crystals in and around the joints, usually starting in the foot. The crystal deposits lead to flares of severe pain, joint swelling, and tenderness, and can progress to chronic joint damage that limits patients’ movement and quality of life.
identified a novel molecular pathway that causes gout and its progression to joint tissue erosion. The findings position lubricin, a protein found in joint fluid, as a novel therapeutic target for both the prevention and treatment of the disease. Additional experiments confirmed that under healthy conditions, lubricin suppresses the secretion of urate and xanthine oxidase by activating white blood cells, and also blocks urate from crystallizing in the joint. The researchers then assessed several patients with the common form of gout and confirmed that they too had markedly decreased levels of lubricin.