Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex, progressive, and age-associated disease characterized by aberrant epigenetic expression. Epigenetic analysis has helped clarify the role of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) in OA. PTMs affect histone structure and function and, therefore, regulate the expression of genes implicated in various biological processes. The roles of histone methylation and acetylation in OA progression-including extracellular collagen degradation and matrix destruction-have been thoroughly analyzed. Though several studies have shown that histone PTMs are related to OA, summative investigations in this area are lacking. The present literature review examines the relationships between histone PTMs and OA. It focuses mainly on methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, lactylation, ubiquitination, and the roles of the histone methyltransferase (HMT)/histone demethylase (HDMT) and histone acetyltransferase (HAT)/histone deacetylase (HDAC) families in OA development. We used epigenetic tools for discovering new OA treatments. This review offers new perspectives for future studies on OA pathogenesis and treatment.
Keywords: cartilage; drug targets; epigenetic; histone modifications; osteoarthritis.
© 2025 Zhao et al.