Cartilage News and Research

RSS

Cartilage is a stiff yet flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs.

Graph neural networks accelerate drug discovery for complex bone diseases

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Traditional Chinese medicine has shown therapeutic potential in treating osteoarthritis (OA) by regulating inflammation and maintaining cartilage homeostasis.

22 May 2026

Scientists identify specialized cells that trigger bone marrow cavity growth

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue located within the hollow center of bones, serving as the primary site for the continuous production of red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells.

28 Apr 2026

Natural compound obakulactone shows therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis

A new study published in Engineering reveals that obakulactone (OL), a natural tetracyclic triterpenoid isolated from Phellodendri cortex, exerts a therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by promoting the degradation of acyl coenzyme A thioesterase 1 (ACOT1) via the ubiquitin‒proteasome pathway and restoring the homeostasis of unsaturated fatty acids.

25 Apr 2026

New study maps early molecular changes in jaw joint osteoarthritis

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) affect a large portion of the global population and are a common source of chronic jaw pain and difficulty in chewing or speaking.

23 Apr 2026

Scientists find unexpected immune pathways for mRNA cancer vaccines

The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed diets may harm muscle health

Ultra-processed food diets may impair muscle health, with MRI findings showing increased fat infiltration in individuals at risk for knee osteoarthritis.

17 Apr 2026

Natural peptide PEPITEM shows promise in reducing arthritic joint swelling

Scientists investigating the naturally occurring immunopeptide PEPITEM have shown reductions in arthritic joint swelling to a degree comparable to the current standard of care, and reduce the inflammatory changes that cause joint damage.

13 Apr 2026

Extracellular vesicles from menstrual blood cells show potential to stimulate cartilage repair

New research by an interdisciplinary team in Lithuania has revealed a promising and unconventional approach to cartilage regeneration.

10 Apr 2026

Study identifies protein that slows cartilage breakdown in joints

Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations.

23 Mar 2026

Study sheds light on potential therapeutic strategies for post-traumatic osteoarthritis

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis often affects younger, active individuals and progresses quickly following ligament or cartilage injury.

4 Mar 2026

Targeted PET/CT tracer improves early prediction of treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis patients

A new targeted PET/CT tracer can detect treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis patients in as little as four weeks, and potentially even at the start of treatment, according to new research published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

27 Feb 2026

New mouse model uncovers achondroplasia's cellular growth plate dysregulation

Achondroplasia, also known as short-limb dwarfism, is associated with neurological symptoms and complications due to narrowing of the skeletal structures surrounding the spinal cord.

26 Feb 2026

Diacerein shows promise as disease-modifying therapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Diacerein, an anthraquinone derivative, is emerging as a promising disease-modifying agent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), because of its potent anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective actions.

13 Feb 2026

AI predicts walking recovery after hip replacement surgery

Artificial intelligence can help to predict how well patients with hip osteoarthritis will be able to walk again after an operation.

12 Feb 2026

Early bone molecular changes signal osteoarthritis progression

Osteoarthritis often goes undetected until cartilage damage is advanced, limiting treatment options. A new study shows that molecular changes in subchondral bone occur earlier and can signal disease progression before cartilage loss.

10 Feb 2026

$Study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair$

Study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair

Bone fractures usually heal efficiently, but in some patients this process fails, causing nonunion. A recent study identifies Apex1 as a redox-regulated driver of fracture repair.

2 Feb 2026

Disease-responsive nanoparticles enable ghrelin mRNA therapy in osteoarthritis

Nitin Joshi, PhD, and Jingjing Gao, PhD, of the Department of Anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham, are the co-senior authors of a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, "A disease-severity-responsive nanoparticle enables potent ghrelin mRNA therapy in osteoarthritis." Mahima Dewani, PhD, is the lead author of this study.

14 Jan 2026

Magnetic torque boosts cardiac organoid maturation, mimicking heart development

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet progress in understanding and treating cardiac disorders is limited by the shortcomings of existing experimental models.

13 Jan 2026

$Neural pain pathways found to play crucial role in bone fracture healing$

Neural pain pathways found to play crucial role in bone fracture healing

When a house catches on fire, we assume that a smoke alarm inside will serve one purpose and one purpose only: warn the occupants of danger.

8 Jan 2026

Researchers uncover how a gene influences cell size across various cell types

What keeps our cells the right size? Scientists have long puzzled over this fundamental question, since cells that are too large or too small are linked to many diseases. Until now, the genetic basis behind cell size has largely been a mystery.

17 Dec 2025