Investigators find way to halt excessive bone growth following trauma or surgery

Researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to prevent heterotopic ossification in animal models by shutting the process off in its early stages.

The new study by Thomas Jefferson University researchers, which appears in the September issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research, is expected to lead to clinical trials and may hopefully provide a new, effective and safe treatment for HO.

“This is a major breakthrough in HO research,” primary investigator Maurizio Pacifici, PhD, director of orthopedic research at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, said in a press release. “We are able to largely prevent formation and progression of HO lesions. We presented our initial results at a recent U.S. Army Extremity War Injuries Symposium in Washington and they were very well-received and have elicited great hope on the part of military physicians to finally have a way to stop HO in troops wounded in war zones.”

Disrupting cellular changes

In the ongoing study sponsored by the U.S. Army, Jefferson scientists were able to prevent HO by disrupting a series of cellular changes that are needed to produce HO.

Following a trauma or invasive surgery, the condition begins when progenitor and stem cells are recruited to the injured site and give rise to cartilage tissue that then turns to bone. This multi-step process is regulated by several factors.

One of these factors is a protein in the nucleus of the progenitor cells that is called the retinoid alpha receptor. This receptor must be turned off before the progenitor cells can form cartilage tissue. The Jefferson scientists, using a pharmacological agent — an alpha agonist — kept the receptors active, stifling the initiation of the disease in its tracks.

“The agonist we used in this case is an experimental drug that is not on the market yet but is being tested in Phase II human trials for another disease,” Pacifici said in the press release. “We tested whether the drug could work to prevent HO, thereby looking for another application for the drug.”

Looking for new options

HO treatments for the general population exist now, but are not always effective and can produce side effects, according to the press release.

Low-dose irradiation, postoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or a combination of both are the current routine treatments for HO. When these treatments fail and patients require surgical removal of HO lesions, some complications can arise, including instigation of a new round of HO formation, he said in the press release.

These treatments are not used in wounded soldiers because they could have additional complications. For example, low-dose irradiation could reduce the healing capacity of tissues.

“We aren't there yet but we are definitely excited,” Pacifici said.