Gulf Insider
A study in mice traced the loss of cartilage that accompanies aging to a single protein, pointing to treatments that may one day restore mobility and ease discomfort in seniors. The protein, called 15-PGDH, has been extensively linked to aging. It becomes more abundant as we get older and interferes with the molecules that repair tissue and reduce inflammation. That led researchers at Stanford University to consider whether 15-PGDH might be involved in osteoarthritis, in which joint stress leads to the breakdown of cartilage collagen, causing inflammation and pain. In tests on old mice, knee cartilage that had previously worn down thickened following the introduction of a 15-PGDH inhibitor. In similar tests on young, injured mice, the inhibitor protected against the typical effects of injury-induced osteoarthritis. When the researchers induced the equivalent of an anterior cruciate ligament injury in mice and subsequently applied the treatment, osteoarthritis didn’t develop as would normally be expected. Previous attempts at cartilage regeneration included the use of stem cells, which were no longer necessary when 15-PGDH was inhibited. Instead, chondrocytes that make and maintain cartilage were being transformed into a healthier, more functional state. “This is a new way of regenerating adult tissue, and it […]
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