Chinese scientists have developed advanced lubricating materials that could help treat osteoarthritis in its early stages and slow progression.
It’s the result of a study from CAS Shanghai Advanced Research Institute researchers and a Xiangya government hospital clinician.
The new material outperforms traditional treatments in reducing friction and improving joint lubrication. On August 18, the team published their findings on Advanced Materials.
How does the hydrogel work?
Li Jiusheng and Lu Hengyi of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Advanced Research Institute co-led the hydrogel study. Also, spine surgery and orthopedics clinician Wang Yunjia from the Xiangya government hospital collaborated in their research.
They understood that osteoarthritis comes from the reduced lubrication of cartilage, the tissue that covers the ends where two bones meet to form a joint.
This degenerative joint disease causes pain, swelling, and stiffness that typically reduces mobility. Consequently, scientists have been searching for biological methods to slow its progression.
READ: Osteoarthritis linked to increased risk of death, but walking more can lower it — study
Jiusheng, Hengyi, and Yunjia developed a solution with “hydrogel microspheres.” India-based Healthworld says they’re “tiny, hollow, and round particles commonly used as injectable biomaterials for repairing injured tissue.”
These microspheres consist of gelatin methacrylate and poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate) or PSBMA.
The former helps cells adhere, proliferate, and mature, while the latter has a strong hydration capacity. Moreover, the researchers developed an antibody that would target injured cartilage sites and anchor it to microspheres.
READ: Scientists found cause of Alzheimer’s progression in brain
The Chinese researchers stated that their treatment is more precise than traditional methods, which “lack precise targeting for small inflammatory lesions.”
The hydrogel also protected and lubricated soft tissues to prevent further wear and tear. As a result, it is “a promising, convenient technique for treating osteoarthritis, particularly for slowing the early-stage osteoarthritis progression.”
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says 595 million had osteoarthritis in 2020, affecting 7.6 percent of the global population. Consequently, this treatment could improve numerous lives.