Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition that affects at least 27 million people in the United States, and at least 12 percent of osteoarthritis cases stem from earlier injuries. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, help reduce pain but do not stop unrelenting cartilage destruction. Consequently, pain related to the condition only gets worse.
Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that they can inject nanoparticles into injured joints in mice and suppress inflammation immediately following an injury, reducing the destruction of cartilage.
The findings are reported online Sept. 26 in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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As someone who studies the connection between human beings and the machines and technology we have created, this concept fascinates me. As someone who suffers from arthritis pain every day I would love to have anything that could help the millions of people worldwide who are also in chronic pain. It reduces quality of life, income, and productivity just to name a few of the more serious issues. I choose not to take strong pain relievers as I have no interest in dulling my brain and senses. It would be a great achievement to have a REAL treatment for osteoarthritis and not just something to mask it, or have to surrender to surgery with all of it’s complications and risks. I will be watching this research and hope for humanity that it can lead to help for many.