Novel perspectives on leptin in osteoarthritis: Focus on aging

Zimo Liu; Wenqing Xie; Hengzhen Li; Xu Liu; Yao Lu; Bangbao Lu; Zhenhan Deng; Yusheng Li

doi:10.1016/j.gendis.2023.101159

Novel perspectives on leptin in osteoarthritis: Focus on aging

Genes Dis. 2023 Nov 4;11(6):101159. doi: 10.1016/j.gendis.2023.101159. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Authors

Zimo Liu^{1

2}, Wenqing Xie^{1

3}, Hengzhen Li^{1

3}, Xu Liu^{1

3}, Yao Lu^{1

2}, Bangbao Lu^{1

3}, Zhenhan Deng⁴, Yusheng Li^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
² Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083, China.
³ National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.
⁴ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic joint disease characterized by articular cartilage degeneration, subchondral sclerosis, synovitis, and osteophyte formation. OA is associated with disability and impaired quality of life, particularly among the elderly. Leptin, a 16-kD non-glycosylated protein encoded by the obese gene, is produced on a systemic and local basis in adipose tissue and the infrapatellar fat pad located in the knee. The metabolic mechanisms employed by leptin in OA development have been widely studied, with attention being paid to aging as a corroborative risk factor for OA. Hence, in this review, we have attempted to establish a potential link between leptin and OA, by focusing on aging-associated mechanisms and proposing leptin as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target in aging-related mechanisms of OA that may provide fruitful guidance and emphasis for future research.

Keywords: Aging; Articular chondrocytes; Cellular senescence; Degeneration; Leptin; Osteoarthritis.

Publication types

Review