ReviewFrontiers in immunology2026
Lubricin in osteoarthritis: functions and therapeutic prospects.
Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Virtual single-cell perturbation and genetic causal inference revealJournal of cell communication and signaling · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) represents a major global public health challenge, characterized by chronic pain and progressive loss of joint function. As the leading cause of disability among the elderly, it imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden worldwide. Pathologically, OA is increasingly understood as a systemic joint disorder that encompasses not only cartilage and subchondral bone, but also periarticular soft tissues and changes within the intra-articular microenvironment. Amid this complex, multi-tissue pathological milieu, lubricin(PRG4)-also known as superficial zone protein (SZP) or proteoglycan 4 (PRG4)-plays a critical chondroprotective role. Secreted predominantly by the superficial zone of articular cartilage and synovial fibroblasts, PRG4 contributes not only to boundary lubrication and the reduction of mechanical wear, but also to the maintenance of chondrocyte metabolic homeostasis, suppression of inflammatory signaling, modulation of immune cell polarization, and attenuation of synovial fibrosis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biological properties of PRG4 and elucidates its multifaceted protective mechanisms in joint homeostasis, including lubrication, metabolic regulation, immunomodulation, and antifibrotic activity-particularly through the CD44/TLR/NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of PRG4 as a disease-modifying OA drug (DMOAD) is critically evaluated. Key translational challenges, such as issues related to interfacial adsorption stability and delivery system design, are also discussed. Collectively, this review aims to establish a theoretical framework and propose future research directions for developing novel biological therapies targeting OA.
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Registered trials
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.