What New Research Is Being Done In Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting anywhere from 30 to 50 million Americans. It is a disease that is due to disordered metabolism in cartilage, the gristle that caps the ends of long bones within a joint. The disordered metabolism leads to a cycle of cartilage deterioration accompanied by inflammation within the joint capsule leading to more deterioration of cartilage.
The primary symptoms associated with OA are pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is a disease for which there are no revolutionary biologic therapies that are available to put it into remission. No treatments prevent osteoarthritis or reverse or block the disease process once it begins.
Current treatments relieve only the symptoms. Researchers are looking for drugs that can prevent, slow down, or reverse joint damage. One antibiotic drug, doxycycline, may stop certain enzymes from damaging cartilage. The drug has had mixed reviews in clinical trials, but more studies are needed.
Researchers are also studying growth factors or other natural chemical messengers. These potential medicines may be able to stimulate cartilage growth or repair.

Acupuncture has received a lot of press recently. In acupuncture, fine needles are inserted into the skin at various points on the body.
Scientists think that […]

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