Adenosine Injected into Arthritic Joints Produces Cartilage Regrowth
Researchers here provide evidence for injections of adenosine into damaged joint tissue to provoke meaningful degrees of cartilage regrowth in an animal model of degenerative joint disease. Finding ways to force the regrowth of tissues, such as cartilage, that normally exhibit little regenerative capacity is an important goal for the research community. Many varied approaches are presently under development; this one has the merit of being comparatively simple when compared to the more logistically challenging cell therapy and tissue engineering strategies.
Previous research had shown that maintaining supplies of adenosine, known to nourish the chondrocyte cells that make cartilage, also prevented osteoarthritis in similar animal models of the disease. In a new study, researchers injected adenosine into the joints of rodents whose limbs had been damaged by inflammation resulting from either traumatic injury, such as a torn ligament, or from massive weight gain placing pressure on joints. The biological damage in these cases is similar to that sustained in human osteoarthritis. The study rodents received eight weekly injections of adenosine, which prompted regrowth rates of cartilage tissue between 50 percent and 35 percent as measured by standard laboratory scores.
Among the study's other key findings was that a cell-signaling pathway, known as transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and involved in many forms of tissue growth, death, and differentiation, was highly active in cartilage tissue damaged by osteoarthritis, as well as in cartilage tissue undergoing repair after being treated with adenosine. Additional testing in lab-grown chondrocytes from people with osteoarthritis showed different chemical profiles of TGF-beta signaling during breakdown than during growth, providing the first evidence that the pathway switched function in the presence of adenosine, from assisting in cartilage breakdown to encouraging its repair.
Link: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/nlh-nat080720.php
It could be good to pair this with senolytics. Part of the reason why Unity's trial failure might have been that too much cartilage had already been destroyed.
@Jimofoz
Part of the reason that Unity failed was that their drug was never shown to kill senescent cells in basic research. It was even worst than rapamycin.
@Anon
rapamycin, AFAIK, is not a Senolytic but rather anti-inflammatory. It might work better if injected as slow release in the knees. If the UBX compound wasn't showing Senolytic effects in cell cultures why even spend money on further trials?
@Cuberat
You have to ask that to Nathaniel, he had access to all the money he could possibly need to create a good therapy. Access to markets, investors, stock quoted in the exchange. And and he blew it. I took a loot at at the basic research Unity was working with and never it was shown to kill senescent cells, it only stop SASP secretion, and it gets even worst, it would only stop that if you gave it right after the cells entered senescent, because if you waited then it would be the same as giving a placebo. Thats why I said rapamycin is better than his drug UBXwhatever, because rapa really is better. On top of that Unity really had hoped everything that happen in mice with other drugs, done with actual senolytics, would simply trasnlate 1 to 1 to humans, and complety ignored the very likely need to have a chondrocyte transplantation after killing senescent cells in the joints. But since it doesnt even kills senescent cells, only a miracle could have saved Unity. It was bound to fail since day 1, all basic research indicated that it was never going to work, and he simply ignored all of that. The stock market wiped out almost a $billion in share value, and its pricing that Unity wont be around in the next year or two.
I woulnd't be so annoyed at a failure and loser this Nathaniel guy is, if it wasnt for the fact that now investors are going to be more cautious investing into "anti-aging" companies. So less money to an already money struggling industry. Nathaniel did not just give a bad name to his company, it blew up millions, scared investors and he affected the entire field, and to be totally honest, he was downright incompentent at every level. He should have never have gotten to the anti-aging research because he is a loser. This guy deserves to go to jail.