Page 26 - Eclipse - Autumn 2015

Research News Research news
Broccoli vs osteoarthritis
Recent research at the RVC has found that eating cruciferous vegetables such as sprouts, cabbage and especially broccoli, can ease the symptoms of the chronic joint condition. This is because of a compound called sulforaphane which is released from the vegetable matter upon digestion. Tests have shown that the substance blocks certain enzymes that destroy the joint cartilage and also processes that cause the in ammation associated with osteoarthritis.
Sulforaphane can be derived from eating broccoli, but patients would have to consume substantial amounts on a daily basis to signi cantly alleviate any symptoms of the condition. Formulating sulforaphane into
a medicine has also proved dif cult as it is an unstable molecule rendering it impossible to manufacture into a regular pill format.
But UK pharmaceutical company,
Evgen Pharma, who worked in
collaboration with the RVC for this
project, has synthesised a stable
version of sulforaphane and incorporated it into a medication called Sulforadex (SFX-01). A single dose of the product provides as much sulforaphane as eating around 2.5kg of broccoli in a single day.
The RVC trial is the rst time SFX-01 has been tested as a treatment for osteoarthritis in a laboratory setting on live osteoarthritis prone mice. The initial ndings are extremely encouraging according to Professor Andrew Pitsillides who is Professor of Skeletal Dynamics at the RVC.
The results found the osteoarthritic mice treated with SFX-01 had signi cantly improved bone architecture, gait balance and movement in comparison to an untreated sample group.
Professor Pitsillides said: “These initial results
are very positive for such an experiment and we have convinced ourselves that sulforaphane is a promising agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
However, the clinical development of sulforaphane has been held back by the fact that it is inherently unstable. Thus, SFX-01 is a major advance in this area.”
Previous research studies have suggested that sulforaphane has anti-cancer and anti-in ammatory properties and human trials are already underway in these areas. But as SFX-01 is now seen as a viable treatment for arthritic joints, further pre-clinical testing and then human clinical trials are now needed.
Professor Pitsillides added: “Nearly nine million people in the UK have osteoarthritis and it costs the NHS more than £5 billion every year. There is no cure or effective treatment for the disease other than pain relief or joint replacement, so the potential for SFX-01 is massive.”