Osteoarthritis is associated with joint damage as shown in this illustration of a healthy knee and a damaged knee joint. Read more. [Credit: Bruce Blaus, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International]

Mast Cells Can Contribute to Joint Damage

New research shows that mast cells and the enzyme tryptase contribute to osteoarthritis.

The joint pain associated with aging is often caused by osteoarthritis. In contrast to rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, osteoarthritis is thought to arise from the accumulated mechanical wear and tear of the joint that occurs…