According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 53 million U.S. adults have arthritis, and that number is expected to increase as people live longer. This incurable condition affects the joints and the tissues around them. As such, managing symptoms is key to reducing pain and improving the quality of life for patients. One of the latest efforts in the crusade against this condition comes from Stanford University, where scientists found a way to regrow aging cartilage, raising hopes for arthritis treatments.
The team, led by Helen Blau, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology, and Nidhi Bhutani, PhD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, tested an injection that blocks the activity of a gerozyme, a protein involved in aging, known as 15-PGDH. This targets the cause of osteoarthritis, the most common kind of arthritis, in which the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down as we grow old.
The animal-tested treatment blocked the function of 15-PGDH with a small molecule, resulting in an increase in old mice’s muscle mass and endurance, reversing the naturally occurring cartilage loss in the knee joints of animals. It was also tested on samples of human tissue from knee replacement surgeries, where it also responded by making new, functional cartilage. The scientists also found that the injection also prevented the development of arthritis after knee injuries, such as ACL tears.
“Millions of people suffer from joint pain and swelling as they age,” Bhutani told Stanford Medicine. “It is a huge unmet medical need. Until now, there has been no drug that directly treats the cause of cartilage loss. But this gerozyme inhibitor causes a dramatic regeneration of cartilage beyond that reported in response to any other drug or intervention.”
“This is a new way of regenerating adult tissue, and it has significant clinical promise for treating arthritis due to aging or injury,” Blau added. “We were looking for stem cells, but they are clearly not involved. It’s very exciting.”
Now, it is reported than an oral version of the treatment is in clinical trials. With some luck, it will become a reliable resource in treating age-related muscle weakness that affects so many people.
Sources: Inhibiting a master regulator of aging regenerates joint cartilage in mice
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