Barasertib impedes chondrocyte senescence and alleviates osteoarthritis by mitigating the destabilization of heterochromatin induced by AURKB

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage loss that causes disability worldwide. The accumulation of senescent chondrocytes in aging human cartilage contributes to the high incidence of OA. Heterochromatin instability, the hallmark and driving factor of senescence, regulates the expression of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype that induces inflammation and cartilage destruction. However, the role of heterochromatin instability in OA progression remains unclear. In this work, we identified AURKB as a key senescence-associated chromatin regulator using bioinformatics methods. We found that AURKB was upregulated in OA cartilage and chondrocytes exposed to abnormal mechanical strain. Overexpression of AURKB could cause senescence and heterochromatin instability. Furthermore, the AURKB inhibitor Barasertib reversed senescence and heterochromatin instability in chondrocytes and alleviated OA in a rat model. Mechanistically, abnormal mechanical strain increased AURKB levels through the Piezo1/Ca²⁺ signaling axis. Blocking Piezo1/Ca²⁺ signaling by short interfering RNA against Piezo1 and Ca²⁺ chelator BAPTA could reduce the expression of AURKB and alleviate senescence in chondrocytes exposed to abnormal mechanical strain. In conclusion, our data confirmed that abnormal mechanical strain increases the expression of AURKB by activating the Piezo1/Ca²⁺ signaling axis, leading to destabilized heterochromatin and senescence in chondrocytes, whereas Barasertib consolidates heterochromatin, counteracts senescence and alleviates OA.

AURKB; Barasertib; Heterochromatin; Osteoarthritis; Senescence.