A study was conducted at Texas A&M University was led by Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar. He said the nanoclay based platform for sustained and prolonged delivery of protein therapeutics has the potential to impact treating osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease that affects nearly 27 million Americans, and is caused by breakdown of cartilage that can lead to damage of the underlying bone.
According to study experts, one of the greatest challenges with treating osteoarthritis and subsequent joint damage is repairing the damaged tissue, especially as cartilage tissue is difficult to regenerate.One method for repair or regeneration of damaged cartilage tissue is to deliver therapeutic growth factors. Growth factors are a special class of proteins that can aid in tissue repair and regeneration. However, current versions of growth factors break down quickly and require a high dose to achieve a therapeutic potential. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated significant adverse effects to this kind of treatment, including uncontrolled tissue formation and inflammation.
The study, published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, sees Gaharwar’s lab designing two-dimensional (2D) mineral nanoparticles to deliver growth factors for a prolonged duration to overcome this drawback. These nanoparticles provide a high surface area and dual charged characteristics that allow for easy electrostatic attachment of growth factors.
Speaking about it, Gaharwar said, “These nanoparticles could prolong delivery of growth factors to human mesenchymal stem cells, which are commonly utilised in cartilage regeneration.”
