A combination of two previously studied osteoarthritis drugs reverses arthritis in rats

The top image shows a knee joint in a healthy rat. (White indicates cartilage.) The second image from top shows a joint with grade 2 untreated osteoarthritis. The third image shows a joint with osteoarthritis that has worsened from grade 2 to grade 4 after six weeks of placebo therapy. The bottom image shows a joint with osteoarthritis that improved from grade 2 to grade 1 (mild) after six weeks of combination therapy with alphaKlotho and sTGFbR2.

Credit: Salk Institute

Article Highlights

People with osteoarthritis, or “wear and tear” arthritis, have limited treatment options: pain relievers or joint replacement surgery. Now, Salk researchers have discovered that a powerful combination of two experimental drugs reverses the cellular and molecular signs of osteoarthritis in rats as well as in isolated human cartilage cells
“What’s really exciting is that this is potentially a therapy that can be translated to the clinic quite easily,” says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, lead author and a professor in Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory. “We are excited to continue refining this promising combination therapy for human use.”
Affecting 30 million adults, osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the United States and its prevalence is expected to rise in coming years due to the aging population and increasing rate of obesity. The disease is caused by gradual changes to cartilage that cushions bones and joints. During aging and repetitive stress, molecules and genes in the cells of this articular cartilage change, eventually leading to the breakdown of the cartilage and the overgrowth of underlying bone, causing chronic pain and stiffness
The researchers treated young, otherwise healthy rats with osteoarthritis with viral particles containing the DNA instructions for making αKLOTHO and TGFβR2
Six weeks after the treatment, rats that had received control particles had more severe osteoarthritis in their knees, with the disease progressing from stage 2 to stage 4. However, rats that had received particles containing αKLOTHO and TGFβR2 DNA showed recovery of their cartilage: the cartilage was thicker, fewer cells were dying, and actively proliferating cells were present. These animals’ disease improved from stage 2 to stage 1, a mild form of osteoarthritis, and no negative side effects were observed
“From the very first time we tested this drug combination on just a few animals, we saw a huge improvement,” says Isabel Guillen-Guillen, also a Salk postdoctoral fellow and the paper’s co-first author. “We kept checking more animals and seeing the same encouraging results.”
“We think that this could be a viable treatment for osteoarthritis in humans,” says Pedro Guillen, director of the Clinica CEMTRO and co-corresponding author

The Complete Story: DRUG COMBO REVERSES ARTHRITIS IN RATS

Salk Institute for Biological Studies | Harvard University | Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia | Chinese Academy of Sciences

Go deeper with Bing News on:

Osteoarthritis

Using AI to remove racial disparity in knee pain diagnosis
on January 27, 2021 at 7:30 am
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. has developed an artificial-intelligence-based application for categorizing the degree of pain in patients suffering from ...
Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market 2020 Key Players Analysis, Segmentation, Growth, Future Trend, Gross Margin, Demand and Forecast by 2025
on January 26, 2021 at 5:09 pm
The latest informative study entitled Global Drugs for Osteoarthritis Pain Market 2020 by Company, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 released for the database of MarketsandResearch.biz helps a ...
Osteoarthritis Pain Drugs Market 2021 : Top countries Data, Market Size, In-Depth Analysis with Booming Trends and Segmentation Forecast to 2026
on January 25, 2021 at 12:45 am
Jan (The Expresswire) -- Global “Osteoarthritis Pain Drugs Market" 2021-2026 Research Report provides key analysis on the market status of ...
Antidepressants won't help with back pain and osteoarthritis, says study
on January 24, 2021 at 12:17 am
A recent study suggested that contrary to the common belief stimulant medication does not have any effect on chronic back pain and hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Antidepressants largely ineffective for back pain and osteoarthritis
on January 21, 2021 at 1:55 pm
Antidepressant drugs are largely ineffective for back and osteoarthritis pain, despite being widely used for these conditions, suggests a review of the evidence.

Go deeper with Google Headlines on:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis Therapeutics Market | Current Trends and Technological Developments Analysis - BioSpace
January 26, 2021
The Stages of Osteoarthritis - Verywell Health
January 21, 2021
Pathophysiology of Osteoarthritis: Changes in Cartilage, Bone, and More - Verywell Health
January 5, 2021
New treatment target discovered that halts osteoarthritis-like knee cartilage degeneration | Penn Today - Penn Today
January 19, 2021
Four Stages of Osteoarthritis of the Hip By Margaret Etudo - Verywell Health
January 12, 2021

Go deeper with Bing News on:

Reversing osteoarthritis

New Algorithms Could Reduce Racial Disparities in Health Care
on January 25, 2021 at 4:20 am
Machine learning programs trained with patients’ own reports find problems that doctors miss—especially in Black people.
Exciting Study on Mouse Immune Cells Reveals How We Might Reverse Cognitive Decline
on January 23, 2021 at 12:14 pm
The march of time can be unkind to the human body, but new research hints at a cause – and possible solution – for some of the ailments and decline that often come with age.
Biden Refashions Covid Battle; U.S. to Join Covax: Virus Update
on January 21, 2021 at 3:50 am
U.S. President Joe Biden plans to issue a sweeping set of executive orders to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, which will rapidly reverse or refashion many of his predecessor’s most heavily criticized ...
Study shows there may be a way to reverse ageing
on January 21, 2021 at 1:08 am
Having isolated the role played by PGE2, Andreasson and her team then set out to see if there was a way to counteract its negative effects. They administered to mice two experimental compounds that ...
5 Tips to Minimize Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare-Ups, According to an Expert
on January 14, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Some mornings, it was such a struggle to get out of bed and dress herself, the New Jersey-based home healthcare nurse had to call out of work. A few years after the diagnosis, Tara is managing her ...