Brown research reveals protein’s role in joints

PROVIDENCE – Newly published research by Dr. Gregory Jay, an associate professor of emergency medicine and engineering at Brown University and an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital, could point the way to new treatments for arthritis.
Jay and his Brown team conducted experiments that showed the role that the protein lubricin plays in synovial fluid, the slimy substance that lubricates the joints. Lubricin, the team found, not only reduces friction but also boosts resiliency in joints.
Scientists have long believed that synovial fluid gets its surface-slicking, shock-absorbing properties from the “goo molecule” hyaluronate, and people with osteoarthritis in their knees can now get an injection of hyaluronate in the joints to reduce pain and improve movement.
The new research shows that it might be beneficial to add lubricin into these injectable fluids, Jay said, adding: “These supplements could be an effective preventive treatment for arthritis or for sports injuries.”