Your choice…have an injection or undergo surgery. While we’re not there yet, a group of researchers have highlighted a promising molecule that is opening up those possibilities.
Is RCGD 423 an Arthritis Disease Modifier?
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Secondary#knee#arthritis
The international team includes scientist Denis Evseenko, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of California Los Angeles Keck School of Medicine. Their work,” Drug-induced modulation of gp130 signaling prevents articular cartilage degeneration and promotes repair,” was published in the February 7, 2018 edition of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
The new molecule is named, “Regulator of Cartilage Growth and Differentiation,” or (RCGD 423).
As UCLA wrote in its September 7, 2018 news release, “As its name implies, RCGD 423 enhances regeneration while curbing inflammation. When RCGD 423 was applied to joint cartilage cells in the laboratory, the cells proliferated more and died less, and when injected into the knees of rats with damaged cartilage, the animals could more effectively heal their injuries. RCGD 423 exerts its effects by communicating with a specific molecule in the body.”
“This molecule, called the glycoprotein 130 (Gp130) receptor, receives two very different types of signals: those that promote cartilage development in the embryo, and those that trigger chronic inflammation in the adult. RCGD 423 amplifies the Gp130 receptor’s ability to receive the developmental signals that can stimulate cartilage regeneration, while blocking the inflammatory signals that can lead to cartilage degeneration over the long term.”
Dr. Evseenko, associate professor of orthopedic surgery, told OTW, “This work represents a potential regenerative treatment for patients with all stages of osteoarthritis, but specifically for those who have early or moderate osteoarthritis. Patients with advanced osteoarthritis will have a chance to delay their surgery and that eliminates the need for the second joint replacement surgery because best artificial joints only last 20-25 years. For patients with early/moderate arthritis, this therapy may eliminate the need for joint replacement surgery completely.”
“Our goal is to finalize selection of the lead molecule and get proof-of-concept toxicology data in a pre-clinical model. We hope to begin clinical trials in approximately two years.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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