Doctors Reveal Patterns in Joint Injury Healing
Duke University: humans possess a cartilage tissue regeneration mechanism similar to salamanders; ankle joints heal faster than knee and hip joints.
Duke University: humans possess a cartilage tissue regeneration mechanism similar to salamanders; ankle joints heal faster than knee and hip joints.
The School of Medicine at Duke University has made a surprising discovery. It is commonly believed that human tissues cannot regenerate as effectively as, for example, the body of a salamander or some fish. However, recent research suggests that humans possess a similar restoration mechanism, at least one that operates in the cartilage tissue of leg joints.
Scientists determined the age of proteins (the time elapsed since their synthesis) in human tissues. These were cartilage tissue proteins, including collagen. The age revealed the renewal rate of cartilage tissue. It turned out that this depended largely on the location of the cartilage. Cartilage in the ankle joints was renewed most frequently. Cartilage in the knee joints had an average age, while the oldest cartilage tissue was located in the hip joints.
A similar pattern is observed in other living organisms capable of regeneration. In lizards, the tissues of the tips of the paws and tails grow back especially quickly. According to the scientists, it is for this reason that knee and hip joint injuries often lead to arthritis and unpleasant consequences, while ankle joint injuries heal faster and without complications.
The tissue regeneration process in humans, amphibians, reptiles, and fish is regulated by the same mRNA molecules, the specialists state. It is simply that in humans these molecules are less active overall. The highest activity, accordingly, is observed in the ankle joint.
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