[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/11057\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe quest to bring osteoarthritis to its knees\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond making a tray of sushi rolls delectable, the potential uses of seaweed are growing fast amid discoveries that it may do everything from improve\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research-and-innovation\/en\/horizon-magazine\/butter-baths-seaweeds-potential-being-tapped-europe\u0022\u003Ediets\u003C\/a\u003E to ease\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/research-and-innovation\/en\/horizon-magazine\/miniature-green-superhero-helping-fight-bowel-disease\u0022\u003Ebowel disease\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow seaweed is the focus of EU research into helping the millions of people worldwide who suffer from degeneration of cartilage in that oh-so-crucial joint: the knee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDance away\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled osteoarthritis of the knee, the condition typically emerges as of middle age and causes joint pain as well as stiffness. The hindrance can leave even the shyest and clumsiest dancers in their youth yearning for a renewed chance to strut their stuff on the floor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018People with knee osteoarthritis have severe pain,\u2019 said Liam Farrissey, chief executive officer of an Irish medical-device company called CrannMed. \u2018They can\u2019t sleep, they can\u2019t move.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are currently no ways to stop or reverse osteoarthritis of the knee and pharmaceutical treatments such as pain killers are unsuitable for long-term use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut new insights into the condition could offer a solution: seaweed injections.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAround 360 million people globally face osteoarthritis of the knee, according to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/osteoarthritis\u0022\u003EWorld Health Organization\u003C\/a\u003E. In Europe, an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/eclinm\/article\/PIIS2589-5370(20)30331-X\/fulltext\u0022\u003Eestimated 13% of adults\u003C\/a\u003E have the joint condition. Most endure 10 to 15 years of increasing pain and decreasing agility before having to resort to knee-replacement surgery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOsteoarthritis used to be thought of as just wear and tear. Bone rubbing on the knee cartilage causes it to break down, leaving bone rubbing on bone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut it\u2019s now regarded also as an inflammatory disease. As the knee wears down, it becomes inflamed and new, tiny blood vessels known as \u201cneovessels\u201d form around the inflammation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll this adds to the pressure on the knee joint, which in turn increases erosion and leads to more inflammation and additional neovessels.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018There is an inflammatory cascade that accelerates the breakdown of the cartilage in the knee,\u2019 said Farrissey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERenewed promise\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe leads a research project that received EU funding to advance a breakthrough treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee based on seaweed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/190167448\u0022\u003EEmboSure\u003C\/a\u003E after the new method, the two-year project runs through April 2024.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThere is an inflammatory cascade that accelerates the breakdown of the cartilage in the knee.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ELiam Farrissey, EmboSure\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research builds on \u2013 and offers more promise than \u2013 a discovery almost a decade ago that briefly created hopes of a breakthrough.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, scientists in Japan came up with the idea of destroying the neovessels to cure the inflammation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a series of studies, the scientists injected tiny particles known as microspheres into the knees of people with osteoarthritis.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea was that the spheres would block blood flow to the neovessels and kill them, a process known as \u201cembolisation\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople reported big reductions in pain and MRI scans showed improved knee function, with the effects lasting for at least four years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut there was a catch: the researchers relied on microspheres made of imipenem \u2013 a powerful broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a result of concerns about antimicrobial resistance and the declining effectiveness of imipenem, its widespread use in a non-infectious disease was ill-advised.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Great outcome with lots of potential, but what they used is not something that can be launched globally,\u2019 said Farrissey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlginate spheres\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis project has created microspheres composed of alginate, a carbohydrate derived from seaweed. The beads also contain an enzyme that breaks down the alginate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe spheres themselves break down soon after they\u2019re injected, so the blocking of the neovessels lasts only some hours.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis means that there is little risk of them cutting the blood flow to other blood vessels and that the patient can go home without the need for further treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018These neovessels are kind of artificial vessels created because of the inflammation, so if you block them for a couple of hours they are dead,\u2019 Farrissey said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said the project has so far conducted laboratory and pre-clinical tests in animals and the trials have gone well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal over the next year is to start clinical trials, which could lead to the treatment being available towards the end of 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What we are doing is launching a product that allows this embolisation procedure to be done on a more global level,\u2019 Farrissey said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETwisted knee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs well as being a degenerative disease, osteoarthritis of the knee can develop following a traumatic injury that causes a complex meniscus tear.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuch damage can occur by twisting a knee while, say, playing a sport such as football.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EPeople who have had their meniscus removed at a relatively young age develop osteoarthritic changes in the knee joint much, much earlier.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Evelyne Hasler, MEFISTO\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe meniscus provides shock-absorbing protection to the articular cartilage as well as stability to the knee.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENonetheless, many meniscus tears are still treated by removing the damaged tissue \u2013 a procedure known as meniscectomy. And this creates its own difficulties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018People who have had their meniscus removed at a relatively young age develop osteoarthritic changes in the knee joint much, much earlier than the natural course of this disease,\u2019 said Dr Evelyne Hasler, a senior scientific education manager at a Swiss regenerative medicine company called Geistlich Pharma.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile nowadays surgeons try to repair torn menisci if possible or remove only a small amount of tissue, not all tears are fixable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018If the meniscus tissue is so damaged that a suture repair would not work anymore, then you need another solution to replace the damaged tissue instead of just cutting it,\u2019 said Hasler.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe is administrative coordinator of an EU-funded project that came up with an answer. Called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/814444\u0022\u003EMEFISTO\u003C\/a\u003E, the project began in April 2019 and is due to run through May 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is led by Professor Elizaveta Kon of Humanitas University in Milan, Italy and involves 13 partners from eight European countries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiodegradable implant\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers developed two novel approaches to treat meniscus loss. One is based on a biodegradable implant to regenerate meniscus tissue in younger patients and the other is based on a non-biodegradable device to replace lost tissue in older patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe biodegradable scaffold is designed to interact with the native meniscal tissue. The implant is 3D printed from collagen, the human body\u2019s main structural protein. The scaffold works with biological growth factors and drug-loaded particles to stimulate meniscus regeneration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018With this approach, we want to regrow missing meniscus tissue and ultimately stop patients needing a knee prosthesis at a young age,\u2019 Hasler said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe said that developing the implant has been challenging because, while the meniscus has a vascular outside region, there are no \u2013 or very few \u2013 blood vessels in the middle of the structure.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the lab, the MEFISTO team has created menisci that support this vascular structure. The researchers are now gearing up to test the implant in animals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf successful, the team intends to pursue the project and a future step includes testing the implant in a clinical study in patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 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