Canadian researchers have discovered a gender difference in the tissues of the menisci, which are cartilage located between the femur and the tibia.
- In France, 3% of the population under 45 is affected by osteoarthritis of the knee, 65% after 65 and 80% over 80.
- A genetic difference in the meniscus makes about 50% of women more susceptible to knee osteoarthritis than men.
Age, family history, overweight… Several factors favor the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis. Among them, we also find sex. And for good reason, knee osteoarthritis is more common in women and its frequency increases after menopause. But how to explain this difference? In order to unravel this mystery, researchers from the University of Alberta in Edmonton (Canada) carried out a study, including the results were published in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology February 15.
For the purposes of the work, they developed cartilage, which was bioengineered from cells that were taken from the damaged menisci of otherwise healthy men and women. To explain the gender difference, the scientists looked at how cartilage works at rest and under conditions of mechanical loading and unloading. The team conducted the experiment in low-gravity conditions in space, which mimics the damage menisci can experience outside of physical exercise, when these menisci serve as wedges and shock absorbers.
A genetic difference has been identified between women and men
According to the results, the artificial menisci reacted to mechanical loading and unloading differently depending on gender. Researchers have identified a genetic difference in the meniscus that makes about 50% of women more susceptible to knee osteoarthritis than men. “Some of the genes found in women that responded more to simulated microgravity in space were associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis,” said Adetola Adesida, a professor at the University of Alberta and lead author of the work, in a statement.
According to the scientists, their results could point to the possibility of a blood test that could identify people with high-risk genes for knee osteoarthritis, allowing for early interventions. “We have discovered the mechanisms that lead to this higher response, and we hope to develop drugs to target these pathways and block these responses. (…) Our research has benefits for both Earth and space,” underlined Mr. Adesida.
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