BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Autoimmune disease

May 3, 2017 6:11 PM UTC

Patient sample and mouse studies suggest promoting senescent cell clearance could help treat osteoarthritis (OA). In patient-derived cultured human cartilage, a compound that induces apoptosis in senescent cells (UBX0101) increased proliferation of healthy chondrocytes and decreased levels of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and IL-1β compared with vehicle. In a mouse model of post-traumatic OA, intra-articular injection of UBX0101 decreased subchondral bone sclerosis, proteoglycan loss in articular cartilage, and thinning, calcification and erosion of articular cartilage and increased cartilage growth. In another mouse model of post-traumatic OA, intra-articular injection of an inducer of apoptosis in senescent cells decreased cartilage erosion and articular levels of MMP13 and IL-1β and increased cartilage growth in joints. In a mouse model of age-related OA, intraperitoneal injection of a different inducer of apoptosis decreased clinical disease scores. Next steps by Unity Biotechnology Inc. include testing promoters of senescent cell clearance in additional animal models of age-related OA...