A team of nine researchers from the National Institute of Rehabilitation (INR) “Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra” developed a therapy to treat knee osteoarthritis. But that’s not all because the team also made history by obtaining the International Award for Medical Innovation 2021, awarded by the Pan American League of Rheumatology Associations (PANLAR).
What is the therapy?
Viscosupplementation with Medical Grade Honey: An Innovative Approach to the Treatment of osteoarthritis Knee is the title of the scientific work on the new complementary treatment that can help control this condition.
Medical grade honey is an active biological lubricating liquid that, when injected into the joint, improves knee mobility and is helpful in restoring joint homeostasis.
The general director of the INR, Carlos Pineda Villaseñor, pointed out that the research team will work for two more years in the preclinical process of the project, since the main objective is to confirm the benefits of bioactive therapy based on viscosupplementation as a regulator of joint homeostasis.
“We want to generate a reliable therapeutic alternative that has a positive impact on the health and quality of life of people with this disease, by providing effective and lasting symptomatic relief.”
Prize amount for winners
He commented that the award consists of a financial support for 10 thousand dollars that will be used for the acquisition of biological reagents such as antibodies, PCR kits, enzymes, histology reagents and Western Blot consumables, which are required to continue the research work.
He reported that worldwide osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and in Mexico, it affects 10.5 percent of the population. This condition causes limitation in the daily activity of people, due to pain, stiffness and deterioration of the joints.
For this reason, he said, new therapeutic strategies are needed. Viscosupplementation can become a novel complementary treatment to conventional therapy to control disease progression and combat acute and chronic pain. In the INR, osteoarthritis ranks as the third leading cause of outpatient care and hospitalization.
He emphasized that this recognition positions the INR as a leader in the search for new therapeutic alternatives for the care of rheumatic diseases.
It is the first time that a Mexican team has achieved this recognition. In previous editions it has been obtained by Colombia, Argentina and Ecuador.