0
0
A promising new injectable hydrogel has been developed to offer hope to patients suffering from osteoporosis, a disease characterized by weakened bones that are more prone to fractures. Osteoporosis occurs when the resorption of old bone outpaces the formation of new bone, gradually compromising bone structure. While the condition is well-known, its economic and societal consequences, particularly the fractures it causes, are often overlooked.
Dominique Pioletti, head of the Laboratory of Biomechanical Orthopedics at EPFL’s School of Engineering, stresses the gravity of osteoporosis. “Around 40% of women over the age of 50 will suffer at least one major osteoporotic fracture, with 20% of men facing the same fate,” he says. Furthermore, fractures of the femoral neck—common in the elderly—carry a 20% mortality rate in the year following the injury, and over half of those affected never return to their previous level of activity.
Traditional treatment for osteoporosis often involves systemic medications that either slow bone resorption (anti-catabolic drugs) or stimulate new bone production (anabolic drugs). However, these treatments can take up to a year to show results, leaving patients vulnerable to fractures in the interim.
Now, a new solution developed by Pioletti and colleagues at EPFL’s start-up flowbone promises a breakthrough. The team, working in collaboration with Vincent Stadelmann of the Schulthess Klinik in Zurich, has created an injectable hydrogel designed to deliver localized, rapid increases in bone density. Their innovative therapy, recently published in Bone, combines the hydrogel injections with traditional systemic drugs, showing a significant improvement in bone density.
The study results, conducted on rats with bone loss, demonstrated a four- to five-fold increase in bone density in the legs of treated animals. “For the first time, we have shown that combining a systemic drug with our hydrogel injection can rapidly increase bone density. This could revolutionize the prevention of osteoporosis fractures,” said Pioletti.
The hydrogel, composed of hyaluronic acid and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, mimics the natural minerals found in bone. The treatment was shown to be highly effective on its own, increasing bone density two- to three-fold in localized areas. However, the most dramatic results were observed when the hydrogel was combined with systemic anabolic (parathyroid hormone) and anti-catabolic (Zoledronate) treatments. In these cases, bone density at the injection site increased up to 4.8-fold in just two to four weeks.
Pioletti and the team at flowbone believe that this injectable hydrogel, when combined with systemic treatments, could complement existing therapies by rapidly increasing bone density, thereby providing a more immediate defense against fractures. “Our goal is to develop therapies that can prevent osteoporosis fractures, especially in cases where patients need rapid bone densification—such as when supporting an implant in weak bone tissue,” said Pioletti.
The team is now awaiting regulatory approval to begin clinical trials in human patients. The hope is that this novel therapy will not only help strengthen bones more quickly but also pave the way for future osteoporosis treatments.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on research findings published in Bone (2024). Clinical studies are still ongoing, and the effectiveness of the hydrogel treatment in humans has yet to be fully established.
