Small electrical current could help people who suffer from arthritis

Researchers used mesh that generates tiny electric current, Matt Mathers reports

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Scientists have found a way to regrow cartilage in a procedure which it is hoped could prove to be a breakthrough in the treatment of arthritis.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut used a mesh that generates a tiny electric current to stimulate cartilage growth.

Cartilage is a tough, flexible tissue found throughout the body. It covers the surface of joints, acting as a shock absorber by allowing bones to slide over one another.

It is roughened and thinned out in people who have arthritis, causing them to feel pain and inflammation on their joints, resulting in problems moving.

In the UK it is estimated that around 10 million people have arthritis or other similar conditions that affect the joints.

The authors of the study, published in the Science Translational Medicine, said that most arthritis remedies focused on pain relief rather than curing the condition.

Explaining the research, the scientists said that synthetic scaffolds, a form of artificial mesh implanted for new cartilage cells to grow, can easily break down under pressure.

Synthetic scaffolds can also cause problems for the body's immune system, they said.

Cartilage is sensitive to electrical stimulation, which they suggested could promote growth, although inserting batteries could be toxic and evasive.

The study said that there are natural crystals found in body matter such as bone, DNA and proteins, which, when pressure is applied to them, act like tiny batteries.

Researchers made a mesh made out of “poly-L lactic acid” PLLA, a biodegradable material that is often used to stitch up wounds because it can be safely absorbed by the human body.

When this is used within a joint affected by osteoarthritis, the material generates a weak but steady electric field, the study said.

The study found that the procedure promoted stimulated cartilage regrowth in a lab setting and in live animals.

It was used in rabbits that were shown to have healed cartilage within three months of surgery.

The researchers cautioned, however, that procedure would need to be tested in a larger animal to analyse whether it is safe.