It has become clear to molecular biologists in the United States that one of the reasons for the development of knee arthritis in the elderly is the insufficient production of the Klotho protein that regulates the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
The magazine Nature Communications reported that about one out of every 15 people on earth suffer from various forms of arthritis and degenerative diseases in the joints, reports Al-Rai daily.
The development of these infections leads to the cartilage in the joints being irreversibly damaged, which causes a permanent feeling of pain. This process is associated with the development of inflammation and penetration of cartilage immune cells. However, the mechanism of arthritis development is still not understood.
American scientists studied cartilage tissue models of elderly people with arthritis, and conducted experiments on laboratory mice aged from 4 months to two years, and took samples of joint cartilage.
According to the researchers, the condition of the joint cartilage in this period of life of mice corresponds to the condition of the joint cartilage of humans at the age of 20-69 years.
The results of the cartilage tissue analysis showed that the development of arthritis in 95 percent of cases is accompanied by suppressing the activity of the genes responsible for the production of the “Klotho” protein.
According to «Russia Today», the researchers discovered that this protein also plays a role in protecting cartilage from mechanical damage and in suppressing inflammation that contributes to the development of age-related arthritis.
