The New Injectable Hydrogel
The EPFL team has now developed an injectable hydrogel to address the need for a quicker solution. The hydrogel is composed of hyaluronic acid and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. It can be injected into weakened areas directly, acting like a scaffold to support the growth of new bone and increase bone density. Preclinical mouse models have already shown great results, with a two-to-threefold increase in only two weeks. The best part about this hydrogel is that it is so readily accepted and compatible with the body, integrating into bone tissue without any rejection or inflammation.
Using Drug Combinations to Enhance the Effects
Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the hydrogel’s effectiveness was significantly enhanced when combined with the systemic drugs usually used for osteoporosis treatment. During the trials, they tested a combination of hydrogel with parathyroid hormone, as well as adding an anti-resorptive drug called Zoledronate directly into the hydrogel in some cases. Quite remarkably, the bone density at the site of the injection had increased by 4.8 times on only a few weeks. According to Pioletti, “Our findings suggest that injectable hydrogels with localized anti-catabolic drug delivery can complement systemic anabolic treatment, by rapidly increasing local bone density.” This combined strategy could potentially offer patients requiring immediate support a promising path forward.
