Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40740348›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology2025

Gut microbiota and osteoarthritis: epidemiology, mechanistic analysis, and new horizons for pharmacological interventions.

Nianyi Sun, Yinuo Zhao, Anren Zhang, Yu He

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. The gut-joint axis in osteoarthritis.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026
    Review
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  13. The oral-gut-joint axis in osteoarthritis: a multiomics case-control study.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026
    Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Nianyi Sun *Department of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Yinuo Zhao *Department of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Anren Zhang *Department of Rehabilitation, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Yu HeDepartment of Rehabilitation, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis is associated with the onset and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). While OA was traditionally considered a localized degenerative joint condition, it is now increasingly viewed as a systemic disorder involving low-grade inflammation and metabolic imbalance. This review synthesizes current findings on the gut-joint axis and presents a structured overview of how alterations in microbial communities may relate to phenotypic variability in OA. Observational studies have identified correlations between gut dysbiosis and factors such as obesity and hyperuricemia, which are themselves linked to increased intestinal permeability, elevated circulating lipopolysaccharide levels, and reduced production of short-chain fatty acids. These features may contribute to immune dysregulation and tissue degeneration, although definitive causal mechanisms remain unconfirmed. Some reports have also detected microbial DNA in joint tissues, raising the possibility of microbial translocation and its potential role in local inflammatory processes. In light of these associations, we review several microbiota-directed interventions, including probiotics, dietary supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and biomaterial-based approaches. Although preliminary studies suggest these strategies may influence systemic inflammation and joint health, most evidence is derived from preclinical models or small-scale clinical trials. Causality has not yet been firmly established, and further validation in larger, well-controlled studies is needed. By integrating current mechanistic insights with emerging therapeutic directions, this review highlights the potential relevance of the gut-joint connection in OA and underscores the importance of continued research toward microbiota-informed, individualized approaches to disease understanding and management.

Indexed as

DysbiosisGastrointestinal MicrobiomeOsteoarthritisAnimalsHumansInflammationProbioticscartilagedysbiosisgut microbiotainflammationmetabolitesosteoarthritis

Identifiers

PMID40740348
PMCPMC12307352

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.