This Protein Heals Arthritis Joints

A simple protein has been found to rebuild joints after injuries, accidents, or even onset of osteoarthritis.

This was proven in a new study in Science Translational Medicine.

When people injure a joint—whether from sports, accidents, or repetitive movement—it often results in something called an osteochondral defect.

That means damage to both the cartilage and the bone just underneath it.

These injuries are often harmful because cartilage doesn’t heal easily. And if it doesn’t heal properly, it leads to osteoarthritis.

Worst of all, there is currently no real way to repair damaged joints. Arthritis treatments merely manage the symptoms.

So, if there is a way to stop that process before it starts—or even reverse joint damage once it’s underway—that’s a big deal.

And this is what the scientists at Queen Mary University of London wanted to find.

The team had noticed something interesting in their previous research:

People with less of the protein agrin in their joints tended to have more severe osteoarthritis.

This observation made them wonder: could it help to add agrin to damaged joints?

They started their journey with mice.

They created a serious joint injury that normally wouldn’t heal on its own—and injected the site with agrin.

And their intuitions proved to be right.

1. Agrin attracted the body’s own repair cells, called progenitor cells, to the damaged area.

2. Agrin activated one healing pathway (CREB) while blocking another that usually limits cartilage growth (WNT signaling).

3. This process turned these progenitor cells into new, stable cartilage cells called chondrocytes. The new cartilage closely resembled healthy joint tissue.

4. Agrin also helped restore the bone underneath the cartilage.

5. Amazingly, it kept working long after the injection—promoting lasting repair.

They then tried the same technique in sheep, using a collagen gel containing agrin.

This time, they saw not only joint healing, but also improvements in movement and physical activity—signs that the animals were truly recovering.

The researchers have now launched a new company to bring this treatment to human patients.

And the goal isn’t just repair—it’s prevention.

Half of all joint injuries eventually lead to osteoarthritis.

But if agrin can fix the damage before arthritis develops, it could halt that downward spiral.

But if you’re already suffering from arthritis, then all you need to do to reverse it is make a few simple diet and lifestyle changes explained here (thousands of readers have done it)…