The infrapatellar fat pad in inflammaging, knee joint health, and osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and accounts for nearly $140 billion in annual healthcare expenditures only in the United States. Obesity, aging, and joint injury are major risk factors for OA development and progression, but the mechanisms contributing to pathology remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that cellular dysregulation and inflammation in joint tissues, including intra-articular adipose tissue depots, may contribute to disease severity.

Single-cell analysis identifies conserved features of immune dysfunction in simulated microgravity and spaceflight.

Microgravity is associated with immunological dysfunction, though the mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, using single-cell analysis of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to short term (25 hours) simulated microgravity, we characterize altered genes and pathways at basal and stimulated states with a Toll-like Receptor-7/8 agonist. We validate single-cell analysis by RNA sequencing and super-resolution microscopy, and against data from the Inspiration-4 (I4) mission, JAXA (Cell-Free Epigenome) mission, Twins study, and spleens from mice on the International Space Station.