RNA-seq of human articular chondrocytes after exposure to BMP7-derived peptide p[63-82].

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can currently only be treated by alleviating pain or, ultimately, by a total joint replacement. The bone morphogenetic protein 7-derived peptide p[63-82] offers a potentially novel molecular treatment option for osteoarthritis. Mapping peptide-induced transcriptomic changes in human articular chondrocytes is expected to help reveal how p[63-82] confers its chondrocyte phenotype modulating bioactivity. To this end, human articular chondrocytes were isolated from the articular cartilage of patients with late-stage osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty (METC approved). Cells were stimulated with 100 nM p[63-82] peptide for 24 hours (or vehicle), after which RNA was isolated, and RNAseq was performed. We found a total of 1976 differentially expressed genes. The p[63-82] peptide induces profound transcriptomic changes in primary human articular chondrocytes. One of the dominant transcriptomic alterations was the differential expression of several collagen-related genes. Many of these collagen-related genes have established roles in cartilage homeostasis. The here-acquired transcriptomic insights provide clues into the therapeutic mechanisms of action of the p[63-82] peptide in human articular chondrocytes.