Spermidine restores dysregulated autophagy and polyamine synthesis in aged and osteoarthritic chondrocytes via EP300

Abstract

Aging: toward a natural treatment for osteoarthritis The naturally occurring small molecule spermidine might prevent and repair the cartilage damage in osteoarthritis, commonly associated with aging. Spermidine was first found in semen but is widely distributed in animals and plants and is known to promote longevity in mammals. During normal aging, a process of “autophagy” in which cells degrade and recycle used materials is known to decline in chrondrocytes, cells which produce and maintain cartilage. Researchers in the UK led by James Edwards at the University of Oxford have uncovered details of the biochemical mechanisms linking spermidine and autophagy. Treating cultured human and mouse chrondrocytes with spermidine can reverse the decline in autophagy. The researchers identified specific genes and proteins involved in spermidine’s effects. Spermidine treatment might restore normal autophagy, combatting osteoarthritis.