БиоПро Выбор потребителя 2018 #09

New therapy will help heal damaged articular cartilage

According to a study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the new biosealant therapy will help repair damaged cartilage. In addition, this method will improve healing by retaining the mesenchymal stem cells in the damaged area.

“Our research shows that using our hyaluronic acid hydrogel system at least temporarily stops cartilage degeneration that commonly occurs after injury and causes pain in joints. In addition to pausing cartilage breakdown, we think that applying this therapy can present a surface that is ‘sticky’ for cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells that are routinely injected into joints to counteract injury. This reinforcing hydrogel could actually synergize with those cells to create a long-term solution”, – says Robert Mauck, Ph.D., Study’s Senior Author, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of Penn Medicine’s McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory in Pennsylvania and senior author of the study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Articular cartilage is the tissue that covers the articular surfaces of bones. It is tough enough and resilient enough to cushion impacts and slippery enough to keep one bone from rubbing against another.

Unfortunately, routine activities lead to rapid deterioration of the cartilage, particularly with any kind of injury, and it is difficult to replace or regrow it. This means that it is especially important that the surviving cartilage remains strong and healthy.

To address this problem, Mauck worked with lead study author Jay Patel, Ph.D., to develop a therapy using a modified version of hyaluronic acid produced by the body’s connective tissue that could be injected into damaged cartilage. According to scientists, this therapy should simultaneously perform a dual function to preserve cartilage: strengthening and sealing.

“We often relate this combined approach to treating a damaged deck in your backyard”, – Patel said. “To fortify the existing wood structure, you need something like a wood hardener, then you can apply a wood sealer to prevent future wear. In the same way, we applied a substance that seeps into the pores of the tissue and provides reinforcement, then ‘sealed’ it by guiding the behavior of injected stem cells towards forming a layer that caps the whole structure.”

The pigs used as a laboratory model were injected with biogel into the damaged cartilage, demonstrating that it is woven into the matrix structure, stabilizing the cartilage tissue. Scientists also showed that biogel was kept at the injection site for at least one week.

When living cartilage was tested in the laboratory, the researchers found that the use of hyaluronic acid-based biogel restores the normal activity of chondrocytes, cells in cartilage tissue. This meant strengthening the microenvironment surrounding the cells.

After the strengthening phase, the researchers moved on to sealing the cartilage so that further tissue loss in the damaged area would not destroy its structure. To this end, the team combined a hyaluronic acid hydrogel-based system with mesenchymal stem/stromal cell injection to promote the formation of a thin “living” barrier on the surface of the cartilage to protect it from further wear and tear.

The researchers compared a group of treated animals to ones that did not. The pigs that were treated showed a thicker layer of connective tissue that was able to protect the cartilage and keep it functioning.

“We’ve shown that this is an innovative technology and methodology for potentially addressing the complexities of treating damaged cartilage tissue that traditionally have made it so difficult”, – said Patel. “Next, we hope to translate this technology to more large animal studies and to the clinic in the near future.”