Scientists at the University of California San Diego have made an exciting discovery about gout, a painful type of arthritis.
They found a new molecular pathway that not only causes gout but also damages joint tissues.
This new research points to a protein called lubricin, found in joint fluid, as a possible new way to prevent and treat gout.
Gout happens when a substance called urate builds up in the body. Urate forms when the body breaks down foods high in purines, like red meat and alcohol. When too much urate collects, sharp crystals can form in and around the joints, often starting in the foot.
These crystals cause severe pain, swelling, and tenderness. If left untreated, gout can lead to lasting joint damage and make it hard for people to move comfortably.
Doctors have long believed that high levels of urate in the blood—called hyperuricemia—are the main cause of gout. But this isn’t always true. Many people have high urate levels and never develop gout. In fact, it’s more common to have high urate levels without any symptoms than to actually have gout.
What’s even more interesting is that gout patients usually have more urate in their joint fluid than in their blood. This led the scientists to explore what triggers urate buildup and crystal formation specifically in the joints.
In their study, they examined a rare case where a patient had urate crystals in the joints and joint erosion but normal urate levels in the blood. They found that this patient had very low levels of lubricin—a protein that helps protect and lubricate the joints. Lubricin also helps control certain white blood cells that can cause joint inflammation.
Further lab tests showed that lubricin normally helps keep urate and an enzyme called xanthine oxidase in check. This enzyme produces urate. Lubricin also stops urate from forming harmful crystals inside the joints.
When the researchers checked other gout patients, they found they too had much lower levels of lubricin. This suggests that people with high urate levels might only get gout if they also have low levels of lubricin or certain genetic traits related to this protein.
This new understanding of how gout develops could lead to better treatments that focus on increasing or protecting lubricin levels in the joints. That would be a major improvement for people living with gout and could help prevent joint damage in the future.
The research was led by Dr. Robert Terkeltaub and was published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatology. It offers new hope for those affected by gout and shows how advances in science can lead to better health and quality of life.
If you care about pain, please read studies about Scientists find a new way to manage knee pain and findings of Promising new drug offers hope for chronic nerve pain relief.
For more information about pain, please read studies about Chronic morphine use for cancer pain may increase bone loss and findings of Scientists find a new hope for chronic pain.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
