Blocking a protein linked to ageing helped older mice regrow knee cartilage without using stem cells, research from Stanford University in California, United States, shows.
Blocking the protein 15-PGDH also increased older animals’ muscle mass and endurance, they reported.
“This is a new way of regenerating adult tissue, and it has significant clinical promise for treating arthritis due to ageing or injury,” senior study author and Stanford professor of microbiology and immunology Dr Helen Blau said in an article on the Stanford Reports website.
“We were looking for stem cells, but they are clearly not involved. It’s very exciting.”
The treatment also helped prevent arthritis from developing after knee injuries often experienced by athletes and recreational exercisers, they found.
Samples of human tissues from knee replacement surgeries also responded to the treatment by making new cartilage in lab tests.
The researchers had their work published in the journal Science on Nov 27 (2025).
Arthritis is a common category of diseases that cause joint cartilage to deteriorate, leading to pain, swelling and limited movement.
Osteoarthritis – the type studied in the new research – results from wear and tear of joint cartilage over time.
An oral version of the Stanford anti-ageing treatment is currently undergoing clinical trials testing a treatment for age-related joint weakness. – By Karl Hille/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service
