A team of researchers from West China Hospital of Sichuan University has uncovered a critical epigenetic mechanism that drives the development of osteoarthritis (OA), a debilitating joint disease affecting millions worldwide. Published in SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences, their study reveals how articular cartilage, due to its shared developmental origin with growth plate cartilage, inherits epigenetic features that make it prone to degeneration. The findings also point to a promising new treatment strategy targeting a key epigenetic enzyme.

Bitter taste receptors are specialised proteins that enable us to detect substances with a bitter taste. They are found mainly in the taste buds of the tongue, but also in the intestine, lungs and even the brain. These receptors are part of a family called TAS2R and they play a vital role in human health because they function as a warning system in case of ingestion of toxic or potentially harmful substances. However, in recent years it has been discovered that these receptors do more than just warn us if something tastes bad. They also influence how the body manages energy, releases digestive hormones and responds to dietary compounds. Now, a research team led by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and involving the IDIBAPs, the Hospital Clinic and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the UB has discovered that two of these receptors could play a key role in processes associated with aging.