Scientists at Gladstone Institutes reveal why some rare individuals keep HIV under control even after stopping antiretroviral therapy—and in doing so, uncover possible new paths toward long-term remission that could include the common diabetes drug, metformin.

A joint research team led by Dr. Chul-Ho Lee and Dr. Yong-Hoon Kim at the Laboratory Animal Resource Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), in collaboration with Prof. JinHyun Kim at Chungnam National University Hospital, has identified a key protein, SHP (NR0B2), that plays a critical protective role in cartilage and may offer a new therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis.

The researchers first analyzed cartilage tissues from osteoarthritis patients and animal models of the disease. They found that the levels of SHP protein decreased significantly as the disease progressed, suggesting that loss of this protective factor contributes to accelerated cartilage destruction. Further experiments showed that mice lacking SHP experienced more severe pain and faster cartilage degradation compared to normal mice. In contrast, restoring SHP levels in the joints led to reduced cartilage damage and improved joint function.