Prime Highlight
- Stanford researchers have developed a drug that blocks the protein 15-PGDH, allowing knee cartilage to regrow and potentially stopping the progression of arthritis.
- In tests on mice and human tissue, the treatment restored joint health without surgery or stem cells, offering hope for millions with knee pain.
Key Facts
- Blocking 15-PGDH restores prostaglandin E2 activity, which keeps cartilage healthy and promotes repair, reversing age-related cartilage damage.
- The drug is in early clinical trials for age-related muscle weakness and has been licensed to Epirium Bio, which plans arthritis-focused trials.
Background
Scientists at Stanford Medicine have developed a new drug that may help the body regrow knee cartilage and stop the progression of arthritis, offering hope to millions of people with joint pain.
The findings, published in the journal Science, show that blocking a protein called 15-PGDH can restart the joint’s own repair system. Cartilage is the smooth layer that cushions bones in the knee. It wears down with age and injury, and once damaged, it usually does not heal. This is why arthritis gets worse over time and often leads to knee replacement surgery.
The Stanford team discovered that levels of 15-PGDH almost double in ageing knee cartilage. This protein breaks down prostaglandin E2, a natural substance that keeps cartilage healthy and helps it repair. By blocking 15-PGDH, researchers allowed prostaglandin E2 to work again.
In tests on older mice, the drug did more than stop cartilage loss. The damaged cartilage grew back, the joint surface became thicker, and the animals moved more easily. The repair happened without surgery or stem cells. Instead, the existing cartilage cells started acting young again.
The team also tested the treatment on human knee tissue collected during knee replacement operations. After one week, the tissue showed early signs of new cartilage growth and less damage. Study co-author Nidhi Bhutani said the response was stronger than with any drug tested so far.
In another experiment, mice with ligament injuries received injections twice a week for four weeks. These animals did not develop arthritis, unlike untreated mice.
The drug is now in early clinical trials for age-related muscle weakness. The technology has been licensed to Epirium Bio, a biotech firm co-founded by lead researcher Helen Blau, which plans to begin trials focused on arthritis.
If successful, the treatment could delay or even prevent the need for knee replacement surgery.
