A new treatment that blocks an aging-related protein restored lost cartilage in old mice and helped prevent arthritis after knee injuries. Human cartilage samples showed similar signs of regeneration, raising hopes for a future drug that could repair joints instead of replacing them.
Exactly. Functional public health systems will assess patient outcomes and the expenditure in money and resources to determine what treatments get approved.
The odds are pretty good that - if this works out - this will be on the list of approved treatments straight away. Surgery is an expensive and high-load pathway for public health systems. A non-surgical treatment that gives good outcomes is such a win-win for both patients and public health systems that it almost doesn’t matter how much it costs.