Research spreads hope for new osteoarthritis treatment in humans and animals
The research was led by the Royal Veterinary College
Veterinary research into osteoarthritis (OA) may lead to treatment that could slow or even reverse the disease, in humans and animals.
Research led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), published in Bone Research, has identified an inhibitor, a protein that binds to an enzyme and slows or stops its activity, that may improve joint health as well as translating into new treatment.
“The findings provide a potential first-of-its-kind disease-modifying strategy that could improve how the disease is managed in both humans and animals,” an RVC spokesperson said.
In OA, the most common form of arthritis, cartilage mineralises and breaks down, underlying bone changes and inflammation develops within joints. It affects more than 527 million people globally and 50% of horses aged over 15. There are no approved treatments that can reverse or halt disease progression.
The team, led by Scott Roberts of the RVC, identified protein CDK8/19 as a drug target in OA disease cell models, and tested an inhibitor in arthritic mice.
Those who had the treatment showed improved gait, greater ability to complete treadmill exercise tests, reduced weight gain and lower levels of OA biomarkers in the blood, as well as improvements in cartilage composition in the knee joints.
Untreated osteoarthritic mice usually have tiny “bridges” of mineralised tissue in the growth plate area of the bone, associated with worsening joint damage. The treated mice had fewer bridges; those that did develop were less dense.
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“While additional research is needed before these findings can be translated into treatments for patients, the findings suggest that the use of a CDK8/19 inhibitor may help slow or even reverse OA disease and improve whole joint health, which is a promising new avenue for OA therapy,” the spokesperson said.
Dr Roberts added that the study provides information on the way cells cause disease in OA, as well as an option for disease reversal.
“This is hugely exciting and impactful given the absence of any disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs,” he said. “The next stage is to transition the research into proof-of-concept studies to show disease-modifying efficacy in a patient population.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.