Chinese scientists claimed to have developed an advanced lubricating material that could help treat osteoarthritis, a common form of arthritis in the early stages and slow its progression. A new material developed by the team can "precisely target damaged cartilage areas and provide lubrication protection", a press release from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said last Wednesday.
The product is the result of a study co-led by researchers Li Jiusheng and Lu Hengyi of the CAS Shanghai Advanced Research Institute along with spine surgery and orthopaedics clinician Wang Yunjia at the Xiangya government hospital in Changsha.
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects the knees, hips, spine and hands. It is a degenerative joint disease in which the affected tissues break down over time causing pain, swelling and stiffness that often reduce mobility.
Reduced lubrication of cartilage – the tissue that covers the ends where two bones meet to form a joint – is thought to be a major factor in triggering osteoarthritis.
Therefore, scientists and clinicians around the world have been searching for biological lubricants that may slow the progression of the disease.
The Chinese team published the results in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Materials on August 18, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
The newly developed material consists of "hydrogel microspheres", tiny, hollow and round particles that are commonly used as injectable biomaterials for the repair of injured tissues, including cartilage, muscle and bone.
These microspheres are made of a biomaterial called gelatin methacrylate – produced from a natural protein derived from collagen – and a well-known polymer composed of very large molecules, called poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate) or PSBMA.
The former allows cells to adhere, proliferate and mature within the constructs, while the latter exerts a strong hydration capacity, according to the study paper prepared by the scientists.
To improve the material's function in treating osteoarthritis, the researchers also developed an antibody that would target injured cartilage sites and anchor it to the microspheres, it said.
An antibody is a large protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralise disease-causing antigens.