Contrary to popular belief, cartilage can restore itself in a process much like what salamanders and zebrafish to regenerate limbs.
The researchers at Duke Health, in their study, which was published online on October 9 in the journal Science Advances, identified a mechanism for repairing cartilage, which seems to be “more robust in ankle joints and less so in hips.” This finding could be helpful in treating osteoarthritis, the most common joint disorder in the world.
"We believe that an understanding of this 'salamander-like' regenerative capacity in humans, and the critically missing components of this regulatory circuit, could provide the foundation for new approaches to repair joint tissues and possibly whole human limbs," said senior author Virginia Byers Kraus, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the departments of Medicine, Pathology and Orthopedic Surgery at Duke.
What are your thoughts on this one?
(Image Credit: Camazine/ Wikimedia Commons)
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sounds like another amazing health discovery that will never be seen again.
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