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Caterpillar fungus could hold key to new osteoarthritis treatments
The caterpillar fungus Cordyceps militaris could hold the key to new treatments for osteoarthritis.

Active compound can reduce pain and halt disease progression

A fungus that infects caterpillars, Cordyceps militaris, could hold the key to new treatments for osteoarthritis, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests that an active compound in the fungus, cordycepin, could reduce pain and halt disease progression.

Scientists say it works by blocking inflammation in an entirely different way to any other pain killer - by repressing a process called polyadenylation - and could be used to help patients for which other treatments have failed.

The study was led by the University of Nottingham and funded by the charity ‘Versus Arthritis’.

“We hope that cordycepin will prove to be the founder of a new class of pain killer,” explained Dr Cornelia De Moor from the University of Nottingham’s School of Pharmacy. “There is a long way to go before a cordycepin-derived medicine reaches patients, but our work is very promising, we are very excited about the prospects.”

Previous work by the University of Nottingham found that cordycepin had anti-inflammatory effects in both cartilage and bone. In this study, researchers administered the compound to rats and mice with osteoarthritis and found that it both reduced pain behaviour and structural damage.

Interestingly, researchers found that cordycepin blocked the inflammation by affecting the last stage of making a messenger RNA, Polyadenylation.

Current treatment options for osteoarthritis are limited to lifestyle changes and reducing pain with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or opioids. But these have limited efficacy and come with unpleasant side effects.

The team hope that the results from this new research will provide a more effective treatment for osteoarthritis that is less toxic and will, therefore, have fewer side effects for patients.

Dr Stephen Simpson from Versus Arthritis said: “Although in its early stages, the study has great potential suffering pain of musculoskeletal conditions and demonstrated the high value and impact of novel discovery-led research on understanding and treating diseases.”

Image (C) Jose Ramon Pato, Coruña, España.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.