Psoralen remodels the articular cartilage microenvironment by pharmacologically regulating the Nrf2 pathway in osteoarthritis treatment.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease featuring extracellular matrix degradation and apoptosis in the inflammatory microenvironment. Psoralea, a traditional Chinese herb derived from the dried and ripe fruits of the leguminous plant Psoralea corylifolia, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties relying on the expression upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Psoralen, a compound derived from Psoralea, can be well applied to the treatment of various diseases, while researches have not fully explored its therapeutic effect for OA.