New research from Duke Health suggests that human ankle cartilage may use biological mechanisms similar to those found in animals capable of limb regeneration, such as salamanders and zebrafish. Published July 11 in Science Advances, the study led by Virginia Byers Kraus, MD, PhD, explores how this regenerative activity could inform future treatments for osteoarthritis, particularly in joints like the knee and hip where such repair is limited.
“The novelty of our work lies in the innovative use of mass spectrometry to distinguish newly synthesized from older proteins, providing a way to measure the active versus inactive state of cartilage regeneration,” said Dr. Kraus, professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine. “Ankle cartilage represents a regenerative environment and could serve as a template for enhancing cartilage repair in less regenerative joints such as the knee and hip.”