Omics-driven insights into the molecular pathways driving osteoarthritis pathogenesis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial, mechano-inflammatory joint disorder characterized by cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and subchondral bone remodeling. Despite its high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life, no disease-modifying treatments have been approved. In many other disease areas, advanced omics technologies are impacting the development of advanced therapies. In OA, omics technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have significantly increased our understanding of OA pathogenesis by uncovering molecular pathways driving disease progression. However, we have yet to see any tangible impact on the development of effective disease-modifying therapies. This review focuses on single- and multi-omics studies in OA, emphasizing their role in identifying molecular subtypes (endotypes) and therapeutic subtypes (theratypes). Multi-omics integration has revealed crosstalk between inflammatory, metabolic, and degradative processes, while spatial proteomics is beginning to provide insights into synovial tissue heterogeneity. However, challenges such as data complexity, lack of standardized frameworks, and limited translational validation hinder rapid progress. Future work will need to leverage artificial intelligence, single-cell, and spatial omics within longitudinal cohort studies. By addressing these challenges, omics-driven research holds promise for helping clinicians differentiating patients presenting with OA and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) affecting the hands or knees, developing personalized OA therapies, and achieving true disease modification beyond symptomatic relief.