Patients ask me daily what they can do to prevent, slow down, or reverse the damages caused by Osteoarthritis. As we learn more and more about what contributes to the breakdown of cartilage in joints, we also develop new ways to halt and prevent damage. Unfortunately, some types of arthritis are genetic, but that doesn’t stop further research on how to stop the mechanisms of degeneration! Similarly in patient’s who suffer from traumatic injuries, there’s also a growing need for novel drugs or treatments that prevent their joints from failing at a later date.
This article summarizes a study done at the Scripps Institute in San Diego, California, where they identified a protein, FoxO, associated with cartilage health and disease. If this protein could be boosted in certain patients or in certain joints, arthritis could potentially be slowed or eliminated.
