Intraarticular injection of relaxin-2 alleviates shoulder arthrofibrosis
Abstract
The accumulation of fibrotic collagenous tissue within the shoulder, knee, and elbow synovial joints restricts movement and causes pain. Current treatments for such arthrofibroses focus on pain management (corticosteroids) and do not reduce or eliminate the fibrotic tissue buildup in the joint. We report the natural protein hormone relaxin-2 as a treatment for shoulder arthrofibrosis (i.e., frozen shoulder). Multiple intraarticular injections of human relaxin-2 restore range of motion and eliminate capsular fibrosis in a murine model of shoulder arthrofibrosis. Encouraging results from both cell and animal studies support further development and clinical evaluation of relaxin-2 as a first-in-kind therapy for arthrofibroses.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- June 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1900355116
- Bibcode:
- 2019PNAS..11612183B