Rps6ka2 is Indispensable for Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell to Attenuate Knee Osteoarthritis through Articular Cartilage Regeneration

Articular cartilage (AC) is most susceptible to degeneration in knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, the existing treatments for OA do not target the core link of the pathogenesis-"decreased tissue cell function activity and extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolic disorders" for effective intervention. Here, we report that Rps6ka2 is indispensable for intra-articular injection of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) (iMSC) to attenuate OA. Mechanistically, Rps6ka2 is indispensable for iMSC to attenuate OA through AC regeneration via regulating cartilage cell viability and ECM metabolism. These results point to a mediator of the iMSC therapeutic efficacy and one that can be genetically targeted to improve OA-related pathogenesis.