We may have a mouse to thank for a new treatment for osteoarthritis. The findings, in a paper by Gregory D. Jay, MD, PhD, of the department of emergency medicine, is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discoveries were made in part by studying the knees of mice, which genetically lack lubricin, causing an aggressive arthritis in spite of high levels of hyaluronic acid in the synovial fluid. A lack of lubricin, resulting in higher friction, leads to cartilage cell death — even in the presence of high levels of hyaluronic acid, a viscous fluid that cushions the joints. This discovery appears to challenge the practice of injecting hyaluronic acid alone into a patient’s joints.
“The lubricant is a protein, not hyaluronic acid, and currently, there are no disease-modifying treatments for osteoarthritis,” Jay said. “Patients suffering from this degenerative joint disease either go through a total joint replacement, or are forced to live with pain every day. This discovery, however, supports that adding a lubricin replacement to the fluid in joints may in fact prevent osteoarthritis in those who have a genetic predisposition to the illness, or who have suffered significant trauma to the joints.”
Linda Williams, writing in Memoir reported that vitamin K deficiency may play a role in the development of osteoarthritis suggests a study published in the American Journal of Medicine. Researchers found that multi-center osteoarthritis study participants, most participants, with sub-clinical levels of phylloquinone which is vitamin K were significantly more likely than participants with adequate vitamin K levels to have x-ray evidence of knee osteoarthritis. Additionally, during 30 months of follow-up, vitamin K deficient patients were significantly more likely to develop osteoarthritis in one or both knees than in neither knee.
So, my comment is this, interesting finding. Eat your greens.
Materials That Have Been Used for Cartilage Repair in OA Treatment
See this frying pan? Guess what? The same technology used here is what is being evaluated for stem cell treatment.
Both dacron and teflon have been used to
repair cartilage defects in rabbits. Unfortunately,
this material appears to be too rigid to be applicable to humans. It’s still pretty good for frying eggs
though!
When you click on the button below you’ll
get access to a page where you can sign up to receive a portfolio of
information that will give you the inside scoop on how stem cells can help you if
you have osteoarthritis. The science,
the biology, and most importantly, the results.
To Repair Cartilage in OA…the Role of Stem Cell Matrix
So I wanted to tell you something about
adult stem cell therapy. Stem cells need
something to cling to if they’re going to become cartilage. The something is called a matrix or
scaffold. So what are the ideal
properties of a scaffold?
Well, they need to be bio-compatible so
inflammation doesn’t damage the host. Second,
they need to have a three dimensional shape to allow the cell differentiation
and multiplication. Third, they need to
be porous to allow diffusion of nutrients and oxygen as well as passage of
cells. Fourth, the scaffold should
permit adhesion or sticking of the stem cells to it. Fifth, the scaffold should participate in the
growth process by releasing growth factors.
Sixth, the matrix should stick to the host tissue. Seventh, the scaffold must maintain its shape
during the growth phase, and also degrade during the remodeling phase. Eighth, the scaffold should be able to be
implanted using minimally invasive procedures.
When you click on the button below, you’ll
get access to a page where you can sign up to receive a portfolio of
information that will give you the inside scoop on how stem cells can help you,
if you have osteoarthritis. The science,
the biology, and most importantly, the results.
New York Times reported that osteoarthritis in the knee (knee OA) is a problem with aging baby boomers. However, there is evidence that boomers may be seeking knee treatment in disproportionate numbers. Some have suggested that this may be because members of the first generation grow up exercising and put a lot of wear and tear on their bodies.
Helen Albert writing in Medwire reported, “Phonophoresis of the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) piroxicam – also known as Feldene- with ultrasound is more effective than ultrasound alone for improving pain and other symptoms of mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA),” according to a study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Researchers arrived at that conclusion after comparing “treatment with ultrasound alone plus standard gel (controls; n=23) with ultrasound plus piroxicam gel (n=23; approximately 20 mg per application) for patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA aged 59 years on average.”
Comment: Feldene is an old drug. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
Liam Davenport writing in Medwire reported, “Research highlights the growing use of total knee replacement (TKR) in the USA among patients with osteoarthritis and the associated healthcare burden.” Researchers estimated “the overall prevalence of TKR in adults aged 50 years and over…to be 4.2%, at 4.8% in females and 3.4% in males.” Meanwhile, “the prevalence of TKR increased with each additional decade in age for both males and females.” The researchers “estimate that 4,007,400 US adults currently live with TKR, of whom 536,100 have a revised TKR.” The findings were published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
Comment: Pretty soon the majority of Americans will be bionic.
Lynda Williams writing in MedWire reported, “Ayurvedic medicine may offer osteoarthritis (OA) relief, say Indian researchers who found traditional formulations to be equal to conventional drugs for the improvement of pain and knee function.” These findings come from “a 6-month randomized, double-blind, clinical trial comparing celecoxib (200 mg/day) or glucosamine sulfate (2 g/day) with one of two Ayurvedic 400 mg/day formulations containing extracts of Zingiber officinale, Tinospora cordifolia, and Phyllanthus emblica alone (SGC) or with Boswellia serrata (SGCG).” The study was published in the journal Rheumatology.
Comment: More data corroborating the benefits of complementary therapies.
Robert Preidt writing in Healthday reported “A process linked to natural cell aging has now also been associated with knee osteoarthritis”. In a study in Arthritis Research & Therapy, “Danish researchers used new technology to closely examine the telomeres of cells taken from the knees of osteoarthritis patients who had joint replacement surgery” and found that “the cells had abnormally shorted telomeres and the percentage of cells with ultra-short telomeres increased with proximity to the damaged area in the knee joint.” Check your telomeres.
An Increase of Heavy Labor, Increases Risk Of Hip Knee Osteoarthritis.
Helen Albert writing in MedWire reported, “Having a job that involves a heavy physical workload increases a person’s risk for developing hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA) and risks are higher with cumulative exposure,” according to a study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The researchers “carried out a follow-up study of the Danish working population from 1981 to 2006″ and “found that male floor- or bricklayers and male and female healthcare assistants had the highest risk for developing knee OA,” while “farmers of both genders the highest risk for hip OA.”
