TITLE:
ERK Pathway in Osteoarthritis: A Review of Pharmacological and Natural Interventions
AUTHORS:
Dachang Liu, Bingbo Wang, Wenqing Gao
KEYWORDS:
Osteoarthritis, ERK Signaling Pathway, Chondrocytes, Natural Products, Cartilage Degradation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.5,
May
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease that leads to disability and affects quality of life. Several biochemical signaling axes are related to the OA progression, such as the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signal transduction pathway. Because ERK is a versatile and multi-functional transcription factor associated with many biological programs, a comprehensive understanding of the function or modulation of ERK in the OA pathology will aid in the development of targeted treatment strategies to protect the cartilage from OA damage and decrease the risk of side effects. In this review, we discuss the roles of ERK in OA chondrocytes and related signaling cascades, including recent findings, to better understand pathological cartilage remodeling and provide potential therapeutic targets that can interfere with ERK signaling for OA treatment.