New Injection Approach May Keep Osteoarthritis Drugs Effective for Weeks: Study

What if one injection could lubricate an arthritic joint-and keep treatment working for weeks?

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have developed an injectable hydrogel designed to extend the delivery of osteoarthritis treatments inside damaged joints.

The material starts as a liquid, allowing minimally invasive injection. Once it reaches body temperature, it transforms into a smooth, lubricating semisolid depot that can remain inside the joint for several weeks while gradually releasing drug-loaded nanocarriers.

Osteoarthritis is a major cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide. Treatments injected directly into joints, including corticosteroids, analgesics and viscosupplements, can provide relief, but their effects may be temporary. Drugs can also be rapidly cleared from synovial fluid, limiting how long they remain active.

The new hydrogel aims to overcome this problem by acting as a local drug reservoir. It combines a biocompatible polymer matrix with nanocarriers capable of transporting poorly soluble, or hydrophobic, therapeutic compounds that are otherwise difficult to deliver.

Researchers tested the platform using a SIRT6 activator, a compound being investigated for its potential disease-modifying effects. The hydrogel gradually releases its therapeutic cargo through diffusion and relaxation of the material, potentially maintaining treatment inside the joint for multiple weeks.

Importantly, the technology is designed to do more than simply deliver medication. Because the hydrogel is lubricious, it could also help improve joint lubrication while releasing treatments targeting processes involved in osteoarthritis, including inflammation and cellular senescence.

If successful, such an approach could reduce the frequency of joint injections and potentially limit systemic exposure to certain drugs.

Although knee osteoarthritis is the main target, researchers say the platform could eventually be adapted for post-traumatic osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration and other localized musculoskeletal conditions.

However, the technology remains under development, and further studies are needed to establish its safety, effectiveness and long-term benefits in humans.

REFERENCE: Research Foundation for the State University of New York. "One injection could keep osteoarthritis drugs working for weeks." https://suny.technologypublisher.com/tech/Injectable_Hydrogel_System_Designed_to_Prolong_Joint_Retention_in_Osteoarthritis