# Transcriptomic analysis of human cartilage identified potential therapeutic targets for hip osteoarthritis

## TL;DR

This study identifies genes linked to hip osteoarthritis, offering potential targets for new treatments.

## Contribution

The study discovers and validates eight hub genes associated with hip OA, including a promising therapeutic target SDC1.

## Key findings

- Eight hub genes (ASPN, COL1A2, MXRA5, P3H1, PCOLCE, SDC1, SPARC, TLR2) are associated with hip OA.
- Dysregulation of extracellular matrix formation and collagen chain imbalance contribute to hip OA development.
- SDC1 is identified as a promising potential therapeutic target for hip OA.

## Abstract

Cartilage degradation is the hallmark of osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to identify and validate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in human articular cartilage that could serve as potential therapeutic targets for hip OA. We performed transcriptomic profiling in a discovery cohort (12 OA-free and 72 hip OA-affected cartilage) and identified 179 DEGs between OA-free and OA-affected cartilage after correcting for multiple testing (P < 2.97 × 10−6). Pathway and network analyses found eight hub genes to be associated with hip OA (ASPN, COL1A2, MXRA5, P3H1, PCOLCE, SDC1, SPARC, and TLR2), which were all confirmed using qPCR in a validation cohort (36 OA-free and 62 hip OA-affected cartilage) (P < 6.25 × 10−3). Our data showed that dysregulation of extracellular matrix formation and imbalance in the proportion of collagen chains may contribute to the development of hip OA, and SDC1 could be a promising potential therapeutic target. These findings provided a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms for hip OA and may assist in developing targeted treatment strategies.