Northwestern University researchers have developed a revolutionary therapy that uses fast-moving "dancing molecules" to mend cartilage damage, possibly changing the lives of millions of people suffering from joint injuries and osteoarthritis. This discovery, published on July 26 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, expands on prior studies using the same molecular technique to cure paralysis in spinal cord injuries. 

Samuel I. Stupp, Ph.D. led the study, which found that these dynamic molecules promote gene expression required for cartilage regeneration in as little as four hours. After three days of therapy, human cartilage cells produced key proteins required for regeneration. "When we first observed the therapeutic effects of dancing molecules, we did not see any reason why it should only apply to the spinal cord," Stupp told me. Now, we observe the effects in two completely disconnected cell types—cartilage cells in our joints and neurons in our brain and spinal cord."

Stupp's team at Northwestern University's Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, with Shelby Yuan as a key author, discovered that the treatment's effectiveness increased with molecular motion. The approach involves creating a circular peptide that mimics the bioactive signal of the protein TGF-beta1, which is essential for cartilage development. They integrated this peptide into supramolecular polymers with varied degrees of molecular mobility and found that higher motion dramatically improved cartilage regeneration. 

This novel technique provides hope to the estimated 530 million people worldwide who suffer from osteoarthritis. Traditional treatments seek to limit disease progression or postpone the need for joint replacement surgery, which is both costly and invasive. "Dancing molecules" therapy, on the other hand, may offer a regeneration approach by targeting the underlying cause of cartilage deterioration.

To improve the therapy, the research team is currently conducting animal experiments and incorporating more bioactive signals. Stupp informed the audience, "We predict that the success of the study in human cartilage cells will greatly enhance cartilage regeneration when used in highly translational pre-clinical models." His lab is also investigating the ability of these molecules to rebuild bone, with promising first results due later this year. 

In addition, the team is aiming to obtain FDA permission for clinical trials of this therapy for spinal cord restoration. "We are beginning to see the tremendous breadth of conditions that this fundamental discovery on 'dancing molecules' could apply to," according to Stupp. "Controlling supramolecular motion through chemical design appears to be a powerful tool to increase efficacy for a range of regenerative therapies."