# Featured Cover

**Authors:** Zhidi Lin, Guangyu Xu, Xiao Lu, Hongli Wang, Feizhou Lu, Xinlei Xia, Jian Song, Jianyuan Jiang, Xiaosheng Ma, Fei Zou

PMC · DOI: 10.1111/acel.70072 · Aging Cell · 2025-04-10

## TL;DR

This study shows how Piezo1 worsens cartilage degeneration through mitochondrial fission during inflammation.

## Contribution

The novel finding is that Piezo1 promotes cartilage degeneration via the Ca2+/CaMKII/Drp1 pathway.

## Key findings

- Piezo1 activation increases mitochondrial fission in cartilage under inflammation.
- Blocking Piezo1 reduces cartilage degeneration in mouse models.
- The Ca2+/CaMKII/Drp1 axis is identified as a key pathway in this process.

## Abstract

The cover image is based on the article Piezo1 exacerbates inflammation‐induced cartilaginous endplate degeneration by activating mitochondrial fission via the Ca2+/CaMKII/Drp1 axis by Zhidi Lin et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.14440.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** PIEZO1 (piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1 (Er blood group)) [NCBI Gene 9780], CAMK2G (calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II gamma) [NCBI Gene 818], CRMP1 (collapsin response mediator protein 1) [NCBI Gene 1400]
- **Chemicals:** Ca2+ (PubChem CID 271)

## Figures

1 figure with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11984679/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11984679