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'Super-healing' powers could help arthritis
Experts at Duke University Medical Center in the US have found a strain of laboratory mice with "super-healing" powers that can help to reduce inflammation in an injury and cut the risk of developing long-term arthritis.
"Our research examines how we could possibly prevent arthritis development with growth factors and anti-inflammatory therapies after a fracture, either before or at the time of the surgery to fix it," explained Steven Olsen, principal investigator of the post-traumatic arthritis project and chief of the Duke orthopaedic trauma section.
He added the research could cut the ten per cent of arthritis cases that are caused by high-impact injuries in younger people, who are often too young for joint replacement operations.
The research focused on the ability of the mice to regenerate tissue, after they discovered holes made in their ears grew over with no scar tissue.
"We thought, 'if they can regenerate cartilage in the ear, what about cartilage in the knee?' This happened in our pilot study," said Bridgette Furman, research analyst and lead scientist on the study.
A recent study from the University of Missouri suggested inhibiting certain proteins in the body could reduce the pain of arthritis.
23 February 2009
Researchers have claimed they may have made a breakthrough in discovering more about the way arthritis caused by high-impact injuries develops in humans.Experts at Duke University Medical Center in the US have found a strain of laboratory mice with "super-healing" powers that can help to reduce inflammation in an injury and cut the risk of developing long-term arthritis.
"Our research examines how we could possibly prevent arthritis development with growth factors and anti-inflammatory therapies after a fracture, either before or at the time of the surgery to fix it," explained Steven Olsen, principal investigator of the post-traumatic arthritis project and chief of the Duke orthopaedic trauma section.
He added the research could cut the ten per cent of arthritis cases that are caused by high-impact injuries in younger people, who are often too young for joint replacement operations.
The research focused on the ability of the mice to regenerate tissue, after they discovered holes made in their ears grew over with no scar tissue.
"We thought, 'if they can regenerate cartilage in the ear, what about cartilage in the knee?' This happened in our pilot study," said Bridgette Furman, research analyst and lead scientist on the study.
A recent study from the University of Missouri suggested inhibiting certain proteins in the body could reduce the pain of arthritis.
© Adfero Ltd. This news story was brought to you by Boehringer Ingelheim.
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