2023-05-29 11:12:12
Home > In brief > Osteoarthritis: one study can hide another Written on May 29, 2023 at 1:12 p.m. Article published in the newspaper nº 112
France Inter, Notre Temps, Les Echos and many others. All these media relayed this info last April: Novartis has developed a synthetic molecule to treat osteoarthritis. Yes, but that’s forgetting a little quickly a study published at the same time on the properties of chlorophyll.
0LNA043. It is the delicate surname of a synthetic molecule developed by Novartis and which is making headlines in the treatment of osteoarthritis. This human protein derivative would regenerate the cartilage by stimulating the cartilage cells, the chondrocytes. In September 2021, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant proudly announced that it had received approval from the American drug police (FDA) for an accelerated procedure for the knee osteoarthritis treatment. A year and a half later, in March 2023 therefore, all the press relayed a study (although dated December 2022) on the regenerating capacities of the LNA043. Of which act.
And chlorophyll in all this?
However, this is not doing justice to another study, which went unnoticed. Also published in December 2022 and in the same prestigious journal Nature, it targets cartilage chondrocytes but by enhancing the therapeutic potential of plants – the thylakoïdes –, and a different action, namely the stimulation in the cartilage of the production ofATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) which, to put it simply, provide and transport the energy necessary for the metabolism to function.
The energy model
Cartilage is made up of cells, chondrocytes, which synthesize (read: manufacture) a matrix composed of collagen. We speak of osteoarthritis when the production of this matrix is insufficient, in particular by deficiency in the production of ATP and NADPH by the chondrocytes. Of course, the idea of supplementing the body with ATP and NADPH was explored, but the side effects were numerous (cell death, high rate of oxidative stress).
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In vitro…
To stimulate the production of ATP and NADPH by chondrocytes, researchers turned to thylakoids. The latter, derived from the chlorophyll of plants, are a set of membranes that participate in photosynthesis. Here, the study focused on the action of spinach thylakoids. Reduced to unity nanoscopic (billionth of a meter), these nanothylakoïdes were encapsulated in a plasma membrane derived from a chondrocyte. Having tested them on samples of cartilage affected by osteoarthritis, the researchers found that the nanothylakoids penetrate the piece of cartilage evenly following twenty-four hours, even in its most internal parts. By placing them under specific lighting (chlorophyll obliges), the researchers found that the chondrocytes provided with nanothylakoids had a production of ATP and NADPH restored to the usual level and without side effects.
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… and live
These results of course prompted the researchers to test them in vivo, in this case in mice. Results confirmed. I’intra-articular injection of these elements and the subsequent exposure to light make it possible to reduce the progression of osteoarthritis in these mice, to reduce the morphological alterations of their joints as well as their pain. Their knees also contain more collagen, showing that chondrocytes have the ability to produce quality collagen. Moreover, the biosecurity treatment was confirmed. After study, the organs of the mice showed no treatment-related lesions.
Bibliographic references
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