In the current study, one group of mice with cartilage and ligament injuries was randomized to receive either saline as a control, Forteo or generic PTH daily for 12 weeks. A second group of mice with joint injuries did not receive treatment until 8 weeks after injury. The delay was an attempt to determine the effect of treatment once the osteoarthritic process was already underway and some cartilage lost, a scenario that more closely mimics clinical reality. Patients do not visit their physician after an injury asking the doctor to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis 10 years in the future, Rosier said. They come in when an old injury and time have combined to degrade cartilage to the point where function is lost and pain felt.
Studies revealed that after 12 weeks of Forteo- or generic PTH treatment, there was approximately 27 percent more joint cartilage compared to saline-treated mice. Strikingly, delayed teriparatide treatment was even more effective in improving the amount of cartilage, with up to 35 percent more cartilage in Forteo- and PTH-treated groups than in the saline group, suggesting an ability to regenerate at least some of the lost cartilage.
With a new use patent application in place, the team will next seek to confirm the durability of the effect in further animal studies, and prepare to seek funding from the National Institutes of Health to begin pilot clinical studies of PTH treatment of osteoarthritis in humans, possibly in the later half of 2010.
Along with Rosier, the study was led by Erik Sampson, Todd O'Brien, Di Chen, Susan Bukata, J. Edward Puzas, Regis O'Keefe and Michael Zuscik within the Department of Orthopaedics and by Hani Awad in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
"These pre-clinical findings provide strong proof-of-con
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| Contact: Greg Williams Greg_Williams@urmc.rochester.edu 585-273-1757 University of Rochester Medical Center Source:Eurekalert |