Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Isolation and Culture of Primary Synovial Macrophages and Fibroblasts from Murine Arthritis Tissue
Published on: February 24, 2023
Single-Cell and Spatial Omics Uncover Disease-Specific Synovial Landscapes in Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis
Alexandra Khmelevskaya1, Christopher Ritchlin2, Caroline Ospelt3
1A. Khmelevskaya, PhD candidate, Center of Experimental Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
None:
At the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) 2025 annual meeting in Bogotá, Columbia, Alexandra Khmelevskaya and Dr. Christopher Ritchlin presented a basic symposium on synovial immunopathology. They presented a comparative analysis between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Their multiomic studies revealed that RA is characterized by heightened intercellular signaling, particularly involving secreted phosphoprotein 1-positive (SPP1+) macrophages, chitinase-3-like protein 1-positive (CHI3L1+) fibroblasts, and fatty acid binding protein 5-positive inflammatory dendritic cell type 3 (FABP5+ iDC3]). Spatial transcriptomics confirmed direct, contact-dependent interactions between SPP1+ macrophages and iDC3 specifically in RA, whereas CHI3L1+ fibroblasts interacted with iDC3 through soluble mediators. Multiplex immunofluorescence validated the tissue localization of these subsets. In contrast, PsA was distinguished by transcriptionally activated CD8+ T cells in both synovium and peripheral blood, with open chromatin states indicating preactivation prior to tissue infiltration. These findings delineate RA-specific stromal-myeloid-dendritic cell networks and PsA-specific T-cell activation programs. Together, they underscore distinct immunopathogenic mechanisms and provide potential targets for precision therapeutics in inflammatory arthritis.
Related Concept Videos
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
EPS and iPS Cells in Disease Research
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
T Cell Types and Functions
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
Development of the Limb Synovial Joints
The mesenchymal stem cells differentiate into chondrocytes that form the hyaline cartilage, and later the cartilaginous model of the bone. This model further transforms into a bone. This process is known as endochondral ossification.
During development, the limbs...
Structural Joints: Synovial Joints