Injectible BioActive Gel Can Treat Developing Knee Injuries, Osteoarthritis

A team of orthopaedic researchers has reached a step closer to finding a biological solution for knee injuries. The researchers have claimed to have formulated an injectable gel that can promote self-healing in the mind of damaged cartilages.

The injectable gel will eliminate the need for a surgery to cure the damaged cartilage and the associated costs. According to the researchers, the new least expensive minimally invasive approach will help repair broken cartilages and prevent osteoarthritis.

The team of researchers at the University of Iowa has reportedly identified the precursor cells in the cartilage that later mature into actual cartilage cells or tissues. In addition, they also discovered the molecular signal that tends to attract the precursor cells to it. During the experiment, the researchers embedded the compound named “stromal cell-derived factor 1, or SDF1,” into a hydrogel and injected it into a broken cartilage. The hygrogel successfully filled the spacial openings within the injured cartilage by attracting chondrogenic progenitor cells towards itself.

“This study showed that stimulating local CPC recruitment prior to treatment with chondrogenic factors significantly improves the biochemical and mechanical properties of the cartilage tissue formed in chondral defects. This simple approach may be implemented in vivo as a one-step procedure by staging the release of chemokine and chondrogenic factors from within the hydrogel, which can be achieved using smart drug-delivery systems,” says the abstract in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

The promising results have motivated the researchers to plan the future of this new innovation as a full-fledged clinical therapy. However, the researchers have warned that the new cartilage formed might not be as strong as a normal, healthy cartilage, but stress training might help improve the strength over a period of time.

"When we are ready to commercialize this product, we already know all the components are FDA approved for human use. That will accelerate the process,” said Yin Yu, the first author of the study.

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