ZDHHC11-mediated palmitoylation alleviates chondrocyte senescence

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative whole-joint disorder that interferes with quality of life in older individuals. Here, we report a high expression of ZDHHC11 in articular chondrocytes, which is downregulated in the degenerated cartilage of aged mice and OA patients. ZDHHC11 prevents chondrocyte senescence and fosters cartilage anabolism, culminating in an improved OA phenotype. Mice with Zdhhc11 deletion (Zdhhc11fl/fl) exacerbate OA progression in a destabilized medial meniscus (DMM) model.