A joint research team led by Dr. Chul-Ho Lee and Dr. Yong-Hoon Kim at the Laboratory Animal Resource Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), in collaboration with Prof. JinHyun Kim at Chungnam National University Hospital, has identified a key protein, SHP (NR0B2), that plays a critical protective role in cartilage and may offer a new therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis.

The researchers first analyzed cartilage tissues from osteoarthritis patients and animal models of the disease. They found that the levels of SHP protein decreased significantly as the disease progressed, suggesting that loss of this protective factor contributes to accelerated cartilage destruction. Further experiments showed that mice lacking SHP experienced more severe pain and faster cartilage degradation compared to normal mice. In contrast, restoring SHP levels in the joints led to reduced cartilage damage and improved joint function.

The function of the spleen as an emergency reserve for lung immunity during viral infection has remained obscure. Research led by Professor Xuetao Cao's team at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences has unveiled a dynamic spleen-to-lung neutrophil axis that operates during antiviral defense. The study provides a high-resolution map of how splenic neutrophils mobilize to supplement lung immune compartments and antiviral immunity during SARS-CoV-2 infection.