Stanford Finds Key Enzyme That May Regrow Worn Knee Cartilage

Knee cartilage wear, a common issue in osteoarthritis, may have a chance to regrow, according to new research from Stanford University. Scientists have pinpointed an enzyme, 15-PGDH, that accumulates with age and appears to interfere with tissue repair.

In studies involving older mice, blocking this enzyme caused their degenerated knee cartilage to thicken, forming normal joint cartilage. The research, published in "Science," also showed that treating injured mice with a 15-PGDH inhibitor reduced their risk of developing osteoarthritis and improved their leg function. This suggests a potential new avenue for treating osteoarthritis.

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15-PGDH can be simply understood as an "aging enzyme" that increases with age and may slow down tissue repair.

Crucially, the regeneration process observed did not rely on stem cells. Instead, the study found that existing cartilage cells in the joint altered their gene expression when 15-PGDH was inhibited, prompting them to produce cartilage and maintain joint structure. This means the research aims to restore the repair capabilities of existing cells rather than introducing new ones.

Experiments with human cartilage tissue from knee replacement patients showed similar promising results. After a week of treatment with a 15-PGDH inhibitor, the tissue exhibited reduced cartilage degeneration and signs of new cartilage formation. However, researchers caution that these findings, primarily from mouse models and human tissue samples, do not yet translate to a cure for osteoarthritis in humans. Further clinical trials are necessary to confirm if worn cartilage can truly regrow in patients.

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After being treated with a 15-PGDH inhibitor for one week, the cartilage tissue showed a decrease in cartilage degeneration-related cells and signs of new joint cartilage formation.