Microspheres made from a substance found in seaweed have been shown to be effective in treating knee osteoarthritis in animal studies. The research was published in the journal Horizon.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint causes pain and limits a person’s mobility. There is no way to slow or reverse cartilage destruction, which currently affects 360 million people worldwide. Osteoarthritis was previously perceived as simple mechanical wear and tear of the joint, but recent research points to the inflammatory nature of the disease. At the same time, new small blood vessels form around the inflamed tissue, which contributes to increased inflammation and destruction of cartilage tissue.
In 2014, Japanese scientists proved that it was possible to destroy blood vessels that contribute to inflammation by injecting microspheres made from the antibiotic imipenem. They destroyed the new vessels by blocking blood flow to them. This resulted in a significant reduction in pain in people who participated in the trials. MRI confirmed improvement in knee function. However, imipenem is not widely used because it is a strong antibiotic used to treat resistant infections.
In a new project called EmboSure, European scientists showed that microspheres made from alginate, a carbohydrate derived from seaweed, could have a similar effect. In this case, the particles are destroyed immediately after injection into the joint, so it only takes a few hours for new vessels to be blocked. This means there is little risk of interruption of blood flow to other blood vessels and the patient can go home after the procedure. Tests on animals have been successful and, following human studies, it is hoped that the treatment will be ready by the end of 2025.
Previous scientists I learnedthat coffee increases the risk of developing arthritis.