Why This Matters
Osteoporosis, a condition marked by weakened and brittle bones, disproportionately affects post-menopausal women and leads to severe fractures, costly surgeries, prolonged recovery times, and even increased mortality. The current treatment methods—chiefly bisphosphonates and denosumab—help slow disease progression but do not actively regenerate compromised bone. With global healthcare costs exceeding $25 billion annually in the U.S. alone, the need for new therapies that prevent fractures, restore bone strength, and promote healing is more urgent than ever.
Our Breakthrough Approach
Our team has spent nearly two decades studying proline-rich peptides that mimic the body’s natural bone-forming proteins. By combining these peptides with a specially engineered, crosslinked hyaluronic acid gel, we have developed an injectable therapy that shows remarkable promise in promoting bone regeneration. In preliminary studies, these peptide-loaded hydrogels:
- Accelerated fracture healing in vivo
- Reduced inflammation
- Enhanced the formation of healthy, mineralised bone
This project will build on these promising findings. We will test our peptide-based therapy in a rigorous animal model of post-menopausal osteoporosis to see if it can effectively heal osteoporotic fractures and act as a preventive treatment. We will directly compare our approach to established treatments like denosumab to demonstrate its potential superiority and explore whether peptide-based injections alone can help maintain bone health, reducing the risk of future fractures.
Our Team
This project is a culmination of the efforts of a diverse team of biomaterials scientists and orthopaedic surgeons, led by Håvard J. Haugen and in collaboration with Augustine M. Saiz from the UC Davis Orthopaedic Team, who bring together decades of expertise in regenerative medicine, clinical translation, and startup innovation. Our collective knowledge and experience give us confidence that we are on the right path to significantly impact osteoporosis treatment.
A Brighter Future for Osteoporosis Care
With support from the Pioneer Innovator Grant, we aim to transform how osteoporosis is treated—from mere maintenance and damage control to active regeneration and long-term bone health. If successful, our approach could give surgeons a revolutionary new tool for improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare burdens, and restoring the quality of life for countless individuals worldwide, potentially reducing the need for costly surgeries and long recovery times.